


Robert Hall's First Assignment

by Rdadvenger



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Astaroth - Freeform, F/M, Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Major Original Character(s), Occult, References to Monty Python, Star Trek References, White House, pissed off pepper potts, protect each other, references to movies, talk to demons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-21
Updated: 2016-03-22
Packaged: 2018-04-05 10:50:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 76,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4177053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rdadvenger/pseuds/Rdadvenger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robert Hall, a case worker, has just been assigned to work with the Avengers. He wonders where this will take him and maybe, just maybe, he can find help peace for himself. Possible romance and/or drama. lots of sarcasm, and Humor, rated M for the cursing, (Possible suicide) Please leave me you opinions and thoughts!!!!!!!!!!!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hello Agent Hall

**Author's notes - Really! Prepare yourself for the life of a government field agent that has been assigned to work with the Avengers.**

 

**I don't own the Avengers, or work for any agencies; Stan Lee and Marvel are the owners to these rights. Robert Hall, is my character. I just have an active imagination. This is my first story. I hope you will like it. I will read your reviews, and try to get better.**

Notes

Three months ago, Loki returned to Midgard, claiming to be a changed man. Naturally, no one believed him and kept a very close eye on him. As part of his punishment, he becomes a member of the Avengers, although he has been stripped of the majority of his magic. Odin, did tell him that if he can prove that he has changed, his magic will be restored.

 

This story takes place roughly six months after the events of the first Avengers movie. Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Bruce Banner, Thor, Loki, Natasha, Clint, and Steve have been living in the newly renamed Avenger's Tower together during that time.

 

As rain pounded against the outside of the newly renovated Avenger's Tower, the Avengers were relaxing indoors. Tony and Pepper were talking with Bruce about new experiments for Stark Industries. Natasha and Clint were lounged on a plush grey sofa discussing future training plans for the team. Steve and Loki were having an intense debate on the military tactics of WWII while Thor was wandered about the floor wearing a white apron and carrying a Swiffer device. The god of thunder was ridiculously amazed that the Swiffer duster was capable of holding so much dust, and refused to clean with anything else, though why he was cleaning in the first place was anyone's guess. The day was peaceful, until the ease was by the familiar voice that spoke to them from the ceiling.

 

Jarvis, the tower's A.I. butler, spoke through the building's intercom, _"Sir, there is a gentleman at the security desk requesting to speak to the team. He says he has been sent to see you from the S.H.I.E.L.D."_

 

Without raising his head, Tony, took a sip of his scotch and then replied, "Jarvis, I don't care what he has to say or what he may need. If they want to meet us, he's gotta' make an appointment, I'm a busy man after all." Pepper looked at Tony, raising an eyebrow. "You, busy? That's a good one. We're not doing anything important right now. Why not let him up here?"

 

Before Tony could respond, Jarvis interrupted, _"Sir, the person requesting to meet you has stated that unless you would like the I.R.S. to perform a full audit of your business and personnel records, it would be wise to make yourself more available."_

 

Everyone smirked at him knowingly.Pepper jabbed Tony in the ribs and replied, before he could attempt to defend himself, "Jarvis, please show in our guest."

 

_"Certainly Miss. Potts"_ Jarvis responded.

 

A few minutes later, the elevator opened and a man with black hair and a short goatee walked in, wearing a silk business suit. He looked around the same age as Bruce, with some grey creeping through his sideburns. He had a bit of a beer gut, walked a duck, and he carried a dark brown leather briefcase under his armpit. Altogether, they didn't know what to make of him.

 

"Hello everyone, a pleasure to meet you all." The man greeted them kindly, walking towards them with confidence in his stride. "Thank you, Miss Potts, for allowing me into your lovely home. Security told me that you were the one to authorize my entrance and I appreciate it greatly. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Robert Hall. I was transferred over from the F.B.I. to S.H.I.E.L.D. two years ago; I was selected to be your new case worker. The government feels that a case-worker could be useful in helping you handle your free time and public image, and maybe even improve it. "

 

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Agent Hall, but I am curious: why would a caseworker from the S.H.I.E.L.D. be assigned to work with the Avengers?" Pepper asked, her tone taking on that ever polite chime she adopted when dealing with Tony's business associates. "Please, call me Robert," he provided with a friendly grin. "I'll be working with you for the foreseeable future, so we might as well loosen up a little, don't you agree?" Robert continued, not waiting for an answer. "Anyways, onto the first order of business… Although we are grateful for your help with preventing that dumb ass over there from wrecking the planet," he paused to give Loki a pointed look, "We feel it's necessary to monitor your dealings with him to be sure that he is no longer a threat." Loki raised an eyebrow icily, which didn't deter Robert from continuing. Loki's stares were pretty intense, so at least, it was clear that the man had some backbone. "But the event that happened last month has tarnished your image a little. But, seeing Mr. Stark has such a way with the press, I'm sure with some work it will be shining again in no time."

 

"Tony, what happened last month?" Pepper eyed Tony critically, her eyes narrowing dangerously when he tried to brush her off, shrugging his shoulders and mumbling "Nothing…".

 

"Oh? Tony didn't tell you about the little pushing match between Thor and the Hulk down on Fifth Avenue during rush hour?" questioned Robert. "It wrecked fifteen cars, which one of those was a beautiful 1966 Black Mustang convertible, three buses, four buildings, and a several traffic lights. Thankfully, Hawkeye had a sleeping gas arrow, which knocked Thor out, so then the Hulk calmed down."

 

Thor, who had excused himself shortly before Robert's comment on the pushing match, re-entered the room just in time to hear Robert's comment and defended himself with, "I don't care for your opinions about my behavior. The malapert beast had eaten my sandwich, and when I confronted him, he lied to me."

 

Banner let out an exasperated sigh, "I did not eat your sandwich. Why would I eat your sandwich when I know it was yours? Thor crossed his arms; looking at his face you could tell he was getting angry. "Well, you had crumbs on your shirt, mayonnaise on your face, and my special plate was in front of you." Thor was getting mad; he walked over towards the doctor and pushed him, forcing Bruce to step backwards.

 

"I didn't eat your sandwich," Banner defended himself in a louder voice, his eyes and skin starting to turn a lovely shade of green. Grinding his teeth in anger, he tried to walk away, but Thor moved to grab his arm. Recognizing the tell-tale signs of the Hulk's transformation, Robert knew he had to cut in before things spiraled out of control, beating Pepper to the punch.

 

**"ENOUGH!"** Robert shouted, sternness creeping into his tone which seemed to shock both men out of their stupor. "It doesn't take a genius to see where this is headed. Did either of you think to ask Jarvis who ate the sandwich?"

 

Thor and Bruce looked at each other, sheepishly as Robert continued; "Besides, if you two had a quarter of a brain, you would look over and see Gumby over there laughing at you." Robert nodded at Loki; Banner and Thor could see him snickering. The trickster stopped when he saw both of them looking at him, he had a feeling that something bad was going to happen to him, he was reasonably sure Thor wouldn't harm him, but the beast….. had a distaste for the trickster.

 

Robert cleared his throat and continued, "All three of you will drop it. One of my jobs is to try and reduce your 'horseplay'. Thankfully, you haven't killed or seriously injured anyone yet. However, this little incident leads me to believe that you lot will need hobbies to keep you all occupied when you're not on a mission."

 

Tony, having had enough of Robert's commandments already, slammed his drink down on the counter. "First of all, Stark Tower belongs to me. This is my home you're shoving into. I'll be damned if some suit-wearing jack-wagon is going to tell us what to do," he stood up angrily. "What makes you think you can just waltz right into the lair of seven super-humans and bark orders at us?"

 

"Five super-humans," Loki mumbled, disinterested in the whole situation other than the vendetta he now had against Robert for selling him out earlier.

 

Natasha got up from her place on the couch and glared at Robert."This is going to be a very rare moment, but I agree with Tony. Nothing bothers me more than some stranger telling me what to do, especially one I have no respect for."

 

Loki got up and said with a sly grin, "It matters not what you say. I'll do what I want to and there's nothing you can do about that."

 

Robert jeered, "Really? Well, let me tell you what you are: you are a spam-humping piece of crap who likes to have sex with horses, and you can shut up and sit down," To everyone's surprised, Loki just gave him a confused look and sat back down. They turned to Robert, eyeing him critically, silently wondering where he had come up with his insults and how they had worked so perfectly. But still, if this man wanted their respect, he would have to earn it, and learn to respect them as well.

 

"Okay, now that I have everyone's attention…"


	2. Introduction continues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone getting to know each other on day 1

"Okay, now that I have everyone's attention…" Robert was about continue.

 

Loki shrank into his seat, as if hoping no one else had caught the reference Robert had made.

 

Thor interrupted Robert before he could continue, finally upset on his brother's behalf now that the shock had worn off. "I should warn you to watch your tongue. Loki may have done terrible things, but he is still my brother."

 

"I am not your brother," Loki complained, looking towards the apron-clad blonde, but still seeming pleased that he'd stuck up for him. "We are not blood. We are not even of the same species."

 

Steve looked at Robert, "I think you've overstayed your welcome. You should leave now."

 

Clint and Natasha had been fingering their weapons angrily. When Robert didn't retreat, they stood up from the couch.

 

Bruce, ever the pacifist, noticed the threatening actions. He turned to Robert, and suggested, "I think you might want to leave for now, while you still have all your limbs. If you hurry, you might get a head start, which is more than can be said for most people in your position."

 

Robert looked around, realizing that things were starting to go very badly for him. Realizing that he had to calm their tempers, he slowly put his briefcase down and held up his arms in a show of surrender. He then addressed Clint. "I have a Glock on my left in a holster and I have another gun on my ankle. I was sent here by your director, Nick Fury."

 

Robert started to shake his head. "The son of a bitch. I should have known that that eye-patch-wearing Captain Jack-wannabe motherfucker would do this to me. He set me up to deal with a bunch of volatile super humans with prolific tempers."

 

Clint leveled him with an unimpressed look.

 

Natasha approached him slowly. "Remove your weapons, set them down on the couch and keep your arms up. If you try anything, you will regret it." With that, Robert slowly removed his two guns and set them on the couch. Then, he moved his arms and hands to the front of his body.

 

"What the hell is wrong with you? Really? You came here armed? Do you have a death wish?" Tony yelled, throwing his hands up in the air, ignoring the look that Steve was giving him for using such language.

 

Ignoring Tony, Robert turned to look at the spies with an eyebrow raised upward, "Oh, yes, because I'm positive that you all waltz into new environments without your weapons."

 

Clint looked at man with a little smirk, "Fair enough, you can lower your arms, but if I were you, I would start explaining real quick."

 

Aware that everyone was watching him, he cautiously ran a hand through his hair. With a defeated look on his face, he turned his attention to the rest of the group, "I am sorry to you all. I really am, and I swear that I'm not usually this bad. When I went into Nick Fury's office, I introduced myself and told him what I had been assigned to do. He welcomed me aboard with a smile, real friendly and all that."

 

Robert rolled his eyes and went on. "Then, he told me that I needed to show the Avengers that I wasn't some pushover. I was supposed to be strict and 'in-control' so that you all would respect my authority. I should have realized that he was setting me up, because when I was leaving he was smiling and waving to me. He might as well have put a target on my back, right?" Several members of the group snickered knowingly.

 

"I never meant to disrespect you. The Avengers are a mighty team and they've earned the respect of millions. You guys don't need a babysitter, I can see that, but the government views you all as threats that need to be monitored, so I can't exactly leave. If I do, they'll just send someone else like me along." Looking to Tony, he leveled him with an apologetic look. "I do understand that this is your home, and if you would let me, can we start over? Please?"

 

"I say we throw him out the window and see if he bounces," Loki suggested, smirking wickedly. The next thing he felt was a rush of air and his head moving forward, as Steve gave him a brain duster.

 

Bruce took a deep breath, feeling much calmer after hearing Robert's explanation. He felt bad for the man, considering that Fury had basically set him up for failure. He gave a curt nod. "Well, I can say that that was a quick turnaround. As a future reference, if Fury is waving and smiling at you, then there's probably a trap waiting for you."

 

Tony thought for a moment, looking at the man, who only seconds earlier he had been ready to see knocked flat on his ass. Finally, he responded with, "Yeah, I can see Fury doing that to a newbie."

 

Clint and Natasha shared a look and put their weapons away. "You are on borrowed time," warned the redhead as she gave him a glare that would make most men wet themselves. Instead of cowering away from the gaze, Robert just shrugged his shoulders.

 

Steve decided to offer a warning to the poor man, "Sir, I would be afraid if I were you."

 

Robert looked at Steve and shook his head. "Her glare doesn't scare me. I've stared death in the face before...in the form of a messy divorce with a pure Italian woman. That, my friend, is very scary; Especially when you're eating dinner, and she goes, 'Hmm, I don't remember if the rat poison or arsenic fell into the soup or if I even got all the broken glass out of it'."

 

Natasha didn't smile at the joke, but she sat back down, smirking. "She seems like a smart woman."

 

"If I may continue, please?" Robert waited for everyone to nod before he continued. "Now that we understand each other, I'll explain my reasons for being here."

 

Much more at ease now that their gazes weren't glares, Robert continued on. "Some high ranking government officials, mainly the President and his cabinet, are concerned over the way you present yourselves to the public. Now, as a whole, you have done a good job of hiding Loki so far; but, if people were to find out about him, it would end up messier than the French Revolution and somebody would get the guillotine."

 

Thor, confused by the reference, spoke. "The guillotine? What, what is that?" Everybody started to rub their foreheads and look away. Loki also frowned doubtfully, but didn't dare admit that he hadn't understood, not nearly as eager to sound like an idiot.

 

"I'll explain it later, Thor," Steve mumbled, grieving the loss of his afternoon.

 

"Okay, I've got it," Robert continued with his mission, ignoring Thor. "What if you all went out and helped support popular charities, such as the Red Cross, Breast Cancer, AIDS Research, The Humane Society, or the March of Dimes? I'm sure there are many others that would love the Avengers to work with them. Although, I wouldn't suggest doing too many at once. Otherwise, your enemies may believe that you've become soft."

 

Robert looked around, gauging everyone's reactions. Pepper smiled brightly and began typing furiously at her phone, Tony tried to peek over at her phone, Bruce and Steve were both nodding in agreement, Clint and Natasha remained stone faced, and Loki looked bored. Finally, his gaze came to Thor, and he saw that Thor had his hand raised. The man wasn't really sure if he wanted to deal with the Asgardian's question.

 

"Yes, Thor? You have a question?"

 

Thor lowered his hand after being acknowledged. "I don't understand what you have just listed off, especially this 'March of Dimes.' Why would Midgard have its people walk on dimes?"

 

In unison, everyone in the room made a groaning noise, even Loki, who had long since learned that nothing Midgardians said was to be taken literally. Robert shook his head, "I'll explain each one to you at a later point, Thor." Thor's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

 

Steve spoke up. "I like your idea of helping the charities. I'd like to hear more of your ideas if you don't mind."

 

Clint, Tony, Bruce, and Natasha shared a look, and they started to move closer to each other to talk quietly. Robert noticed this and said, "I want to make it known that I'm not here to be a dictator or a rival or even your boss. My only job is to help improve your public image, ease the fears the government has, and to help you guys become a better team."

 

Thor approached Robert and got right in his face. "You are mocking me, and I grow tired of the way you speak to my friends and my brother. If you are not careful, I shall strike you down with Mjolnir."

 

Robert stared calmly back at the Asgardian, wondering how to handle the man. Sure, he hadn't been afraid of Natasha's glare, but she was a mortal woman. How was he supposed to deal with a man that came out of Norse legend? As he studied the man closer, a smile spread across Robert's face as he said, "Look Thor, I know you can beat me into next week, but you'll look silly doing it with a Swiffer wand in your hand and an apron around your waist."

 

Everyone else started to laugh as they saw how silly Thor looked wearing an apron and carrying a duster while trying to be threatening.

 

Loki, the only one not laughing, had decided to slap a hand to his head in exasperation. Almost to himself he muttered, "And he wonders why I keep saying that I am not his brother, but no, he keeps insisting that I am. It is moments like these that make me question why I am still associated with him and his brainless ways. "

 

Steve, the only one who had heard Loki's pity-party, gave the Asgardian a little pat on the back to show his sympathies.

 

Thor looked down at the dusting device still clasped in his hand. "You are a truly funny man, and you are certainly no coward. I see you use your wit and tongue as a weapon."

 

Pepper spoke up, "Wow look at the time, is anyone hungry? What does everyone want?"

 

Tony was the first to speak. "Last night, we had pizza. I say Shawarma."

 

"Chinese." Natasha and Clint answered.

 

"Shawarma." Bruce requested

 

Thor cut in, "My brother and I would like to have burgers."

 

Loki frowned. "I am not your brother, and I can pick my own food, moron. I'd rather try Taco Bell since I keep seeing their commercials."

 

"Taco Bell? Wow Loki, I'm shocked. Though I do agree with your choice," Robert stated.

 

"What are tacos?" Thor inquired.

 

"Thor, do you know anything about Midgard?" asked Robert.

 

"He's an idiot, so no," Loki answered for Thor.

 

Tony decided to jump in at that. "Okay Loki, be nice. We'll have Taco Bell tonight. Jarvis, display the menu on the TV screen for everyone."

 

 _"Right away, sir,"_ said Jarvis, as the menu popped up on the screen and everyone gave Jarvis their order. Clint and Natasha still ordered Chinese food.

 

Pepper looked at Robert, "So Robert, where are you staying?"

 

"Actually, to be honest, I got transferred here so quickly, that I will be staying at a hotel for now."

 

"Nonsense, you can stay here. As a matter of fact, we have a room by Clint and Natasha," Tony said with a Cheshire grin.

 

Robert shook his head. "Oh, I coul-"

 

Pepper quickly interrupted him. "Of course you can!" Under pressure, Robert acquiesced.

 

"You better not be a loud snorer," complained Clint with an accompanying glare.

 

"Fuck, I am dead," muttered Robert. In a louder tone, he continued. "Okay, well, while we're waiting for the food, I'll go get my bags from my car. If you happen to have an idea on a charity, let me know." With that Robert, left the room.

 

"Jarvis," said Tony. "Please give me any information that you have on him."

 

_"Yes sir. Robert Hall, born May 9th, 1972, in Lititz, Pennsylvania, a small town outside of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Moved to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 1984. Father got transferred working for P.P. &L . Mother worked in banks as a teller and as a school cafeteria worker._

 

_"Graduated from High School in 1991, went into the military police with the Army. He left after 10 years, with an honorable discharge, ranked as a sergeant. Joined the F.B.I. and did well as a field agent, solving murders, kidnappings and hostage situations. He was approached by the C.I.A. to become an agent, but he declined the position. Was transferred to S.H.I.E.L.D. two years ago, and is mainly a field agent that helps public image."_

 

"Keep going Jarvis," instructed Tony.

 

_"He likes Philadelphia Eagles, Flyers, Phillies, and likes NASCAR. He listens to several music genres, but mainly Metallica, 80's hair bands, Megadeth, Amy Grant, Enya, Beethoven, and Mozart. He enjoys watching the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, and the Three Stooges. His only medical condition is Hypersomnia,"_

 

Clint interrupted with, "What the hell is that and how the hell did you find out all that stuff?"

 

Jarvis then replied,  _"Through his Facebook page, of course."_

 

Bruce replied, "His body does not produce enough of the chemical that helps him stay awake. He probably takes medication to combat drowsiness."

 

"Yes, and if you would have asked me, I would have told you everything." Everyone had the decency to look embarrassed as Robert walked back into the room. "I take Adderall, Adderall XR, and Provigil, plus lots of caffeine. I also try to get at least 6 hours of sleep a night."

 

Later that night, as they were all eating their dinner in relatively good spirits, Robert suddenly said, "Hot damn! I almost forgot about that." He stood up without elaborating on what 'that' was and rushed to his briefcase. He pulled out some standard, manila envelopes and went back to the table, passing out the envelopes to Steve, Loki, Thor, and Bruce.

 

"Merry Christmas," said Robert. Seeing Thor's mouth open, most likely to point out that the day wasn't actually Christmas, Robert quickly added, "No, Thor, it's not Christmas yet. It is just an expression." As they opened them, Robert said, "I would suggest that you don't lose them."

 

Thor spoke first. "What is this plastic thing? It has my likeness on it."

 

"It is your ID card. It helps people know who you are," answered Clint.

 

"There are people who will doubt me when I tell them who I am?" asked Thor in confusion. "Won't a card make them more likely to doubt?"

 

"What's the matter, Thor, having some self-esteem issues?" teased Loki.

 

"Loki and Thor, you are now official citizens of the United States of America. Bruce, here you go, everything criminal on your record has been cleaned. For you Steve, your information has been updated and modified," explained Robert.

 

"So, now we can get driver's licenses?" asked Loki hopefully.

 

"Yes. As long as you pass your driver's test from the D.M.V.," explained Robert.

 

"Where is this DMV? I will pass the test with this," Thor exclaimed, as he raised his hammer.

 

"No, Thor, you don't attack it! Although, it might make a lot people happy if you did. You take a driving test with a pencil or a computer, and then you can drive a car around," explained Robert patiently.

 

Thor seemed distressed over this, which pleased Loki greatly.


	3. Avengers Driving School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor and Loki, driving cars?? Better have good insurance

"Gawk! Are you fucking nuts?!" demanded Clint, who had very nearly choked on his dinner at the casual statement. "You're going to put Thor behind a vehicle in Manhattan? I thought you wanted to reduce damage. Having Thor driving will be like a real-life version of bumper cars! Then there's Loki, and I mean, at least he's got enough sense to be able to drive safely, but he won't! I guarantee he'll act like this is Grand Theft Auto and run over people on the sidewalk on purpose."

 

Robert gave Clint a level stare. "Relax, this isn't happening any time soon. I'm going make sure Thor and Loki are able to drive a car before they even get into a car."

 

"I don't understand how this will be able to happen," stated a confused-looking Thor.

 

 

"Yes, I concur," contributed Loki, as a sly grin appeared on his face. Clint groaned. He never should have said that GTA thing out loud. He'd given the jerk some great ideas.

 

"Oh yeah?" Clint challenged, glaring at Robert for the misfortune he had surely wrought upon them all. "What are you going to do? Take over the video game room or something?" he asked incredulously as he cracked open his fortune cookie.

 

Reading the slip of paper, he chucked it behind him. "This one's bullshit; I've read it before," he mumbled tersely, still in a tense knot over the idea of the two immortals having licenses to drive and put the safety of everyone on the road in jeopardy.

 

"That is exactly what I am going to do." Clint groaned in response, but Robert ignored him. "There are video games that you can just drive a car around for hours and hours. But we won't begin that for some time," Robert explained as he ate his seventh taco.

 

"I hope you realize that Mario Kart isn't an appropriate game to teach you how to drive safely," Tony mumbled, just imagining the potential road rage it might give Thor.

 

"Why does thought of Loki with his magic back, stuck in rush hour traffic, scare me?" Steve said

 

"Well, that will be an easy fix. Bruce will just be with him when he drives," Tony stated

 

"What?! Wait, how did I get pulled into this? Why is it every time, there is possibility of him doing something, I get pulled for babysitting duty?" Banner remarked

 

Robert shrugged. "It's not like there's turtle-shell power-ups on the real-life road." All of a sudden he had a gut feeling that he was being watched. He looked up after taking a giant bite of food. He saw Natasha glaring at him, and he suddenly felt worried.

 

His mind was racing; he wondered how to deal with this. He knew being aggressive with her would most likely not end well for him, so that option was out the window. Instead, he looked at her with a sly grin and said, "If you keep staring at me, things are going to get very freaky for everyone."

 

Everyone at the table stopped what they were doing and just stared at Robert like he had put a bull's-eye on his forehead, which was actually pretty comical given the team's line-up.

 

"Since you are about to die, can I have your cheesy gordita?" requested Clint. He was still hungry after eating his food, and since Robert was about to die, why let food go to waste?

 

Loki shook his head at Robert, and commented, "You are either the biggest idiot in history, Chuck Norris in disguise, or you really have a death wish."

 

Thor looked at his brother. "Who is Chuck Norris? Is this a new friend of yours?"

 

Loki let out a big sigh. "No, he is on the TV all the time."

 

Steve looked at Thor. "Thor, you need to watch more TV. Even I know who Chuck Norris is."

 

"Are you threatening me?" Natasha demanded coldly, as she lowered her head slightly and stared at Robert.

 

"No, I'm not threatening you. I just don't like people staring at me like I'm some sort of serial killer. I don't think that's an unreasonable request," countered Robert.

 

"What's the matter, Robert?" teased Loki. "Got some dark secrets you're hiding?" It was plain to everyone that Loki was digging for something to hold over Robert's head.

 

"Wow, look who's talking about dark secrets. Just remember there, Caribou-lover, I'm sure Mr. Stark can find you a mate at the North Pole. Hell, maybe you can add the penguins and a polar bear and have an orgy."

 

Tony and Clint's faces turned bright red, and the two burst out laughing; Clint even fell out of his chair, clutching his stomach. Bruce chuckled behind a hand to be polite. Steve's face reflected his confusion, up until Natasha explained to him in hushed tones what Robert had said. After her explanation, his face changed from confusion to mortification.

 

Pepper, the most mature one of the group, couldn't help but laugh as well. Thor and Loki looked at each other in confusion, since they had no idea about the animals Robert had just described; Still, they were well aware that Loki had been insulted. Robert looked over at Clint, who was smiling and shooting him a thumbs-up.

 

Robert thought to himself, ' _Hey maybe this will work. Maybe they were right; there is hope for me. Just as long as that bastard doesn't get any ideas.'_  He didn't doubt that if he kept teasing Loki, sooner or later the Asgardian would enact his revenge. _'Well, I have been having fun with the bastard, but he keeps leaving himself wide open for me, I need to lay off him for a bit.'_

 

Later on that night, they were all sitting around a giant flat screen TV. Robert was sitting on a plush dark grey recliner, and sitting next to him on a smaller sofa were Tony and Pepper. In the middle of the room, there was a large light black sofa, and on it sat Steve, Bruce, and Thor. Clint and Natasha had left the room to take a conference call with Fury, and Loki had slipped away a while back.

 

"So, how did you get picked for this assignment?" Pepper asked.

 

"I'm not really sure why my boss picked me. He just called me into his office and told me my new assignment. I thought it would be exciting, so I took the chance," explained Robert. "Plus I'm a big fan of Avengers." Robert noticed that everyone got quiet suddenly, "I am sorry, did I say something wrong?"

 

"No, it is something that a very good friend once said. He died," Steve said. The Avengers were all remembering the loss of Phil.

 

"Well, it is an adventurous environment," replied Bruce.

 

"My friend is correct. There is always something new enemy for us to combat," agreed Thor.

 

Steve nodded in agreement to Thor's statement, and inadvertently brought up a topic that they hadn't spoken about just yet. "There's something we have to talk about Robert, and it has to do with us and our assignments. I mean, I don't think we can take you along. I mean you no disrespect, but-."

 

He saw Robert hold up his hand and stopped, letting Robert speak. "I understand your concern, and I don't disagree with the fact that I'm just a human with no special powers or abilities, especially when compared to all of you. While I don't want to be a problem, I do think that you all need a little bit of management when it comes to going out to a battle. After viewing your battles, I think you tend to use too much and it becomes overkill," explained Robert.

 

"Overkill!? We never have too much force. You're just talking nonsense and exaggerating," says Tony, who is always so know for always going full throttle, as he sipped some Gentleman Jack.

 

"Really? What about the bank robbery where you destroyed the building and injured seven hostages?" shot back Robert.

 

"I don't know what you're talking about. We had everything under control," retorted Tony, starting to get a little defensive.

 

"There were ten robbers with machine guns, no lasers, no explosives, no aliens, just ten idiots," continued Robert. "I'm pretty sure you could have sent in Clint, Natasha and Steve. There would have been a different outcome if you had. I mean hell, Natasha probably could have taken them out all on her own!"

 

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Natasha said sarcastically, startling him.

 

Robert nearly jumped out of his chair in shock. "Holy shit! I firkin' thought you were still out of the room!" He exhaled as his heart slowed down. "Dammit! Do you do that all the time?"

 

"Yeah, she's pretty good at sneaking up on people. Remember, she is a master Assassin," Tony said as he started to laugh.

 

Laughter immediately encased the room, and a quick glance verified that everyone was laughing at Robert's reaction. Robert looked back at Natasha and saw that the redhead was smiling just a little, which brought a tiny grin to his face. Robert could tell that there was never going to be a dull moment in Stark's tower.


	4. Starting to get Settled In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things calm down a little, and Robert did what?!?

 

As the group quieted down, Tony turned to Robert, "I don't understand what the fuss is all about. The building got a little damaged. It can be fixed."

 

Robert stared at him incredulously, "A little damaged? The building was listed as a historical landmark, and it collapsed to the street level!" Understandably, Robert sounded quite hysterical.

 

"That explains all the angry emails and phone calls and the need for five million dollars. I’ve been getting quite a few messages from historical societies lately" commented Pepper, raising an eyebrow at Tony.

 

"Hey, don’t look at me like that! I only deserve about twelve percent of the blame, since Jolly Green Giant showed up, Legolas started shooting arrows everywhere, and Fabio decided to make indoor thunderstorms," argued Tony, backing away from Pepper.

 

Robert a smirk on his face when he raised his hand and acted like he was cracking a whip and making the whiplash sound; Tony was very much so whipped when it came to Ms. Pepper Potts.

 

“Hey-” Bruce tried to defend himself, but was interrupted.

 

"I called upon Mjolnir  because the beast had escaped and he needed to be stopped," explained Thor.

 

“That’s not-” Bruce tried again.

 

"Well, I was trying to get the robbers, because they went nuts and started shooting randomly when the Hulk came out." Clint countered, not sounding the least bit apologetic .

 

Throughout the team argument, Robert had monitored the mild-mannered doctor who was currently and  quickly getting more and more frustrated.

 

His skin was starting to flush a yellowish-green. Thinking on his feet, Robert got up and approached Bruce in the most non-threatening manner that he could and lowered himself one knee  He stared Bruce in the eyes, noting the irises had starting to glow green.

 

Ignoring the bewildered glances and outright stares, he was getting from the team, he started to speak in a calm tone,

 

"Hulk, I am not blaming you. You did what you thought was right: to protect and help. Neither you nor Bruce are in any trouble; but it would help me greatly if you could please let Bruce tell your guys' side of the story."

 

Everyone waited with baited breath, staring at Robert like he had a death wish. When Banner slowly returned to his normal color, everyone stared at them in awe..

 

Bruce just looked at Robert in shock,”Why did you do that? Why did you talk directly to my… other side? How would you know he would calm down?”

 

"I’ve read your files many times over and I’ve spent plenty of time watching videos of the Hulk. I don't think the Hulk is a monster. I believe that the Hulk is a living being with emotions, a personality, and intelligence; just like any of us. For those reasons, I firmly believe that if you treat him with respect and kindness, it will be returned."

 

Robert shrugged nonchalantly. “That belief turned out to be right.”

 

As he looked across the room, he could see Tony, Pepper, Steve, and Thor were nodding in agreement. While Clint and Natasha looked thoughtful, Robert could tell they had some doubts. Loki was still nowhere to be seen.

 

And Bruce was trying and failing to speak until he finally gaped at Robert. "Are you insane? Have you seen the amount of damage he causes? People die when he wakes up!”

 

"Yes, people get hurt when he's acting on instinct, but not when he’s able to think coherently. Think back to the Battle of New York. He followed orders and protected the city, didn't he? He even knew to save Tony, without being told to do so.”

 

Robert, noticing that everyone was looking at him, cleared his throat before continuing, “From what I read in the reports about the robbery, he sheltered a family when the building collapsed because he knew they couldn't get out."

 

Robert paused, "Hulk is a volatile radioactively altered being, yes, but he’s not a dumb animal. Maybe, if you treat him with respect and let him out under less stressful situations, he would be happier… Thus making your life happier. You’ve already tried everything else, and none of those worked, so why not try giving him some respect? I’m positive your team will help and be there for both of you."

 

Bruce pressed his lips in a hard line, all of a sudden looking decades older than his age. He  shook his head, "I don't know about this, the other guy is unstable.”

 

He paused, remembering how calm and gentle the Hulk was when he and Betty were in the cave together. God, he missed Betty. “It’ll just end us costing more money to fix the shit he’ll end up breaking.”

 

Robert patted Bruce's knee “Of course you’ll fail with that attitude. But, there’s a universe out there filled with shit that we have no clue how to handle, and the Hulk may be the only thing able to stop whatever comes our way.”

 

"Just think about it and I’ll come to you later," he suggested, standing up and stretching. "Well, it's getting late, and I still have to put my stuff away."

 

The two were zoned into their conversation that much, that it was like coming back to Earth with the other Avengers who were witnessing their conversation.

 

Tony looked over and saw Robert's things  by the elevator and groaned, "Can I have at least one person move into the tower, whose entire life doesn’t fit within  two duffel bags?" Robert just snorted and walked to the elevator.

 

"Here let us show you to your room," Pepper smiled pointedly at Tony  as she got up and kicked Tony's shoe lightly.

 

"Fine," Tony sighed, following them onto the elevator.

 

The compartment was filled with silence, as they waited for the floor that contained the apartments for the Avengers.Sighing, Robert turned his attention to Tony and Pepper,  "Okay let's cut to the chase. I know you don’t want me here, and I understand that you don't trust me . I'm sorry that this wasn't handled better, but we can’t change anything now."

 

Tony flippantly replied, "You win the award for The Understatement Of The Year. And  that’s with capital letters, by the way.  What the hell did you think would happen? We would all hold hands over a campfire and sing Kumbaya? Maybe roast marshmallows and make s'mores?

 

Robert chuckled, glad to see Tony’s grand ego shine again. "Well, maybe if Steve was in charge. He'd probably have us wear Boy Scout uniforms and sing ‘Row, Row, Row your boat.’"

 

Tony started to laugh, interested in the suit that could verbally keep up with his shit. "Maybe you’ll be alright, but I still don't trust you. Tch’ I don’t even trust Fury.”

 

Pepper rolled her eyes, trying to decide if she was too tired to deal with their dick-measuring. “Does anyone trust Fury?”

 

As the doors opened, they walked into a large room; the closest part of the room was filled with couches, recliners, and a big screen TV; opposite of the elevators was an open kitchen. At the end of the room and there were two hallways going in opposite directions. Tony and Pepper led Robert down the hallway to the right, and stopped in front of a door.

 

Tony lazily gestured to the hand scanner next to the door, "Only your hand will let you in. No one else will have access to your room, unless there’s an emergency; Jarvis will make sure of that."

 

Robert took a breath as if Tony had reminded him of something, "That's what I wanted to ask you. Who or what is Jarvis?”

 

As if on cue, Jarvis spoke, _"I am the A.I. service of this tower; I am the one that helps everyone get their job done. If you need anything sir, just ask and I will gladly assist."_

 

Tony took over from there, "Jarvis is the security system, guidance counselor, butler, and anything else. I built him from nothing and now he’s everything.”

 

“And don’t be surprised by any sarcastic answers, he tends to be like his creator.” Pepper added.

 

Robert looked at them critically, "A machine’s in control of everything? Yeah, sorry, I’ve seen the Terminator movies and ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’  and I can tell you, it doesn't end well."

 

 _“I assure you sir, I am much more intelligent than any of those machines.”_ Jarvis added. Not expecting that, Robert burst out laughing, with Tony and Pepper joining in.

 

Robert opened the door to his apartment, stepping inside. He saw a spacious living room, with flat screen TV that had a PS3 and Xbox in front of it, a nice couch, and two recliners. Adjacent to the living room was a kitchenette with a small dining table. Then there were three doors that lead off of the main room.

 

"Well, thank you for the tour, but I would like to set up and lay down. Is there a Wifi password?"

 

Tony waved a hand, already turned to leave the apartment , "Anything that you need, just ask Jarvis. He’ll handle it. If there are any other problems, let Pepper or me know.”

 

"Well have a good night sleep," Pepper said. "We usually have around breakfast is at eight a.m. We try to eat together." and with that the couple walked out the door

 

Robert just looked around and released a big sigh. Walking further into the apartment, he threw his bags onto one of the recliners. Deciding to explore his new abode,  he opened the first two doors to find fully furnished bedrooms. The final door revealed a full bathroom, as he walked in: there was a nice granite counter for the sink, and the shower had a custom tile pattern. He walked back to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, it was empty except for some bottles of water. Finally, he walked over to the couch and sat down, absorbing everything that had happened that day.

 

After resting for a bit, he grabbed his bags and went into the first bedroom. Putting his bags on the bed, he started to unpack. Taking out his clothes, he noticed they looked dirty and wrinkled. So he took out his phone, making a reminder to find out about laundry.

 

 _"If you are curious about the laundry, sir, there is a laundry service in the lower levels of the building. Your clothes will be collected every day and it will be washed, dried, and ironed before being returned to you. All that we ask is for you to please use the correct baskets: black is for the colors, white is for the whites, and the green is for formal clothes._ " Jarvis said suddenly. Robert jumped, looking around suspiciously, wondering if the computer was watching him.

 

"Umm…. Yeah. Thanks Jarvis," he finally replied.

 

Trying to get the thought of futuristic, human killing robots out of his head, Robert decided to go about his nightly routine. He plugged his charger into the electrical outlet in order to charge his phone. Without putting his phone down he set his alarm. He then changed into his pajamas, went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth. Finally he went into the bedroom and laid down on the bed.

 

Rolling over, he picked up his wallet from the nightstand. Opening his wallet, he held it close to his body so that Jarvis wouldn't see it. Lightly glossing his fingers over the little plastic sleeves, he felt his eyes mist over as he looked over the prints in his wallet

 

Robert felt his cheeks grow wet. Closing his eyes, he said ever so quietly, "My god, I miss you both so much.” As he put the wallet away, his eyes still closed, Jarvis heard him say with the faintest of whisper.

 

_“God, why did I kill them.”_

 

 

 


	5. Trust?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 2, Trust Issues, Tony being paranoid, Metallica

As Tony and Pepper went back to join the others, Pepper lowered her voice. "I know you really don't know what to make of him, but he's a good person. I think he may be able to help us."

 

Tony leveled Pepper with a flat sarcastic expression. "Oh, what can he do? Make sure we don't run out of paper clips? Look, I don't trust him. He's a paper pusher." Pepper's reply was cut off when the elevator doors opened.

 

As they got off of the elevator, Tony called the team's attention, eyes shifting from one face to the next, "Alright, what do you guys think of this clown, 'cause I've only known him for a few hours and I already want him gone." He yelped when Pepper pinched his side. "Although, he might be nicer than we initially thought..,"

 

Steve hesitated before answering, "I'm not sure, he seems honest… And, I hate to admit it, but I have to agree with his assessment about the bank. We used too much force."

 

Clint gave Steve a nod before giving his opinion. "I agree, but when Natasha and I requested that Fury get him out of here, he replied with a resounding 'no'. Apparently he thinks that this guy might be an asset to the team. Whatever his value and however nice he may seem is irrelevant. We don't know enough information to trust him."

 

Natasha nodded coldly. "I tried to access his files, but all of them were blocked. He appears to be nice enough, but that doesn't make him trustworthy."

 

Bruce gave a long exasperated sigh, still reeling over the advice Robert had given him. "I'll be honest… I think he's nuts, but that doesn't make him trustworthy."

 

Thor seemed to be the only one who had faith in Robert. "He makes me laugh." He looked at Loki in confusion. "I am not sure why he does not like you, brother."

 

Loki sighed loudly. "For the last time, don't call me, 'brother'. As for Robert, I don't like him and I don't trust him."

 

Tony snorted. "That's ironic coming from you."

 

Loki looked torn between confusion and trying to remain indifferent to Tony's jibing. "What is ironic about my statement?"

 

Tony smirked, looking around to rally support for his joke. Only Clint was cracking a smile. "You're the God of lies and tricks, and you're suspicious of somebody. It's kinda funny. It's like military intelligence."

 

Pepper gave a put-upon sigh. "Well, there must be a good reason why Fury allowed him to join the team. Let's just give him a chance."

 

Natasha cut in. "I think he'll be fine. Besides, he's just one man. We can always just-," She dragged her finger across her neck, and Tony chuckled at that.

 

With that, the team decided to turn in for the night and wait to see how things would turn out in the coming days.

 

The next morning, Robert's alarm went off at 7am, playing 'Enter Sandman'. He got up and rubbed his face, and reminded himself that he needed a shave. Putting on a pair of socks, he walked out of his apartment, went to the elevator to headed up to the main common area. When he got there, he saw Steve pouring himself a cup of coffee. "I hope that's not decaf. Is it still hot?"

 

"Good morning," Steve replied. "It's regular. I made it after my run, so no worries. It hasn't gone cold."

 

Robert gave him a slightly envious look. "I'm not really the running type, especially not at this hour… It'd probably do me some good, though."

 

Steve shrugged, making small talk as he sipped his own coffee. "Best way to wake up and be alert."

 

Robert smiled a little bitterly. "I have to disagree with you there." With that, he flashed a prescription pill bottle, poured out a pair of small pills. He took both swiftly with a gulp of coffee.

 

Steve didn't question him, but Robert still felt the need to explain his actions. "I gotta take these throughout the day, otherwise I'd be conking out all over the place."

 

"How long has this been an issue, if you don't mind me asking?" Steve asked, looking concerned, as he sat down at a table.

 

Robert sat down across from Steve, jumping at the chance to get to know him. "I've had issues with tiredness for as long as I can remember, but I wasn't tested for anything until I was almost thirty. It's a pain, but it's better than falling asleep at the wrong times, like while driving a car or something."

 

Steve nodded, letting it drop. "So, are you hungry at all? I was about to start making breakfast and I'm taking orders."

 

Robert hesitated a moment before replying. "Sure, I'll have three eggs in a basket."

 

Steve furrowed his eyebrows. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure that I know what that is."

 

Robert shrugged. "Don't worry about it for now. I need to start on my reports. I'll show you how to make them when I come back."

 

"Sure, no problem. I'm always willing to learn," Steve replied as Robert turned to return to his apartment. Steve noticed the pill bottle on the table, so he stopped Robert. "Hey! Don't forget these… And when you make those reports, try not mentioning anything bad about me." Steve smiled as he handed Robert his pill bottle.

 

"Thanks…" Suddenly, a big smile spread over his face. "And don't worry about the report, I only put in the honest truth."

 

Robert grabbed his laptop from apartment, and then went to the communal living room. He plugged his laptop charger into the wall and turned his computer on. As he waited for it to load, he looked around and admired the open living space and the decorative paintings on the walls.

 

"Hey Jarvis, can you play music?" he asked, still not fully comfortable with the idea of asking the invisible force for favors.

 

 _"Yes, I am capable of playing any mixture of music. I can even access the playlist of songs that you have on 'Rhapsody',"_  came Jarvis' answer.

 

"Cool, please play the songs at a medium volume and shuffle them, but no repeat please," Robert asked as he started to make his report over his first day with the Avengers.

 

A little while later, Robert assumed that the rest of the Avengers had awoken and were starting to meet for breakfast. "Hey, Jarvis, what are the odds that they are going to spy on me?" Robert asked thoughtfully.

 

 _"Probably at least eighty-five percent, Sir. Why do you ask?"_ Jarvis inquired

 

"I would like you to help me play a joke on them." Robert said playfully

 

_"That does sound like fun, Sir." Jarvis answered_

 

Robert grinned, he stated, "Okay, here is what I want you do..."

 

Everyone was sitting around, enjoying the bacon, sausage, eggs, and pancakes Steve had made. Looking around and seeing that someone was missing, Pepper asked, "Jarvis, where's Robert? What's he doing?"

 

 _"Agent Hall is working on his computer, typing up files on the Avengers,"_  Jarvis reported. _"He is also listening to music and sitting on the couch, in the common living area."_

 

"Really! He's already spying on us, yet we're supposed to trust him! What do his reports say about us?"

 

_"He has only created folders for each team member, sir. Then he went to ESPN, to read news about the Eagles and Flyers."_

 

"Oh, is that it?" Tony frowned, unwilling to give up his plan to make Robert look suspicious. "So he is listening to music. Well, let's have a good laugh. He's probably listening to Taylor Swift or something equally lame. Play it, Jarvis."

 

 _"Very well, Sir,"_  Jarvis responded.

 

They were immediately confronted by a blast of loud music, causing most of them to reflexively cover their ears at the volume (shock):

 

_Slamming through, don't fuck with razorback_   
_stepping out? You'll feel our hell on your back_   
_Blood follows blood and we make sure_   
_Life ain't for you and we're the cure_   
_Honesty is my only excuse_   
_Try to rob us of it, but it's no use_   
_Steamroller action crushing all_   
_Victim is your name and you shall fall_

 

"Jarvis, turn it off!" Natasha shouted. Glaring at Tony, she began to stalk towards him threateningly.

 

"Wow, he likes Metallica. Maybe he's not that bad after all. He has good taste, at least," Tony chuckled nervously, while avoiding the death glares he was receiving from everyone, plus trying to avoid a glaring, mad Russian.

 

As the elevator doors opened, Robert saw Natasha closing in on Tony. He just rolled his eyes with a sigh. Then he heard the music playing at a reduced volume. Did they plan on spying on every little thing he did?

 

"Tony, Tony, Tony, when will you ever learn some manners? Didn't anyone ever teach you that it's rude to spy on people? Oh, and thanks for the help, Jarvis," Robert teased good-naturedly.

 

" _You were right, Sir, it was a funny joke."_  Jarvis replied

 

"You got Jarvis to play a joke on us? How did you that?" Tony asked, bewildered.

 

Robert shrugged his shoulders. "I just asked him." He turned to face Steve. "You still wanna' learn how to make that thing?" He nodded eagerly.

 

"Okay, we need a frying pan, three slices of bread, butter, an egg, and a knife," Once Steve got the supplies, Robert started to make it, explaining as he went. "What you do is butter one side of the bread, then cut a square, circle, or whatever shape you want to make. Then you melt more butter in the pan and put the bread in, butter-side up. You let the bread brown like a grill cheese sandwich on both sides, then you cook the egg in the hole that you cut out until it looks done, and that my friend, is eggs in a basket."

 

"Where did you learn to cook like that?" Steve asked.

 

"I used to work at different restaurants when I was younger. It's a nice skill to have," he replied as he picked up his plate and sat down next to Natasha.

 

As Robert set his plate down, she looked at his then back at hers, deciding her food looked quite boring. He felt her gaze, and he turned to look at her. Robert nodded his head and Natasha took a bite of from his plate. It was easy to see her face brighten up and she asked Steve if he could make them. The Captain was happy to oblige.

 

Robert continued. "You want to talk about pressure, I worked at this one restaurant that had three buses show up at 6:30 in the morning. I was by myself except for the manager. That totally sucked giant whale ass," Robert complained as he started eating.

 

"Giant whale ass?" Steve repeated in exasperation. "That can't be a real saying."

 

"What can I say, my mouth isn't g-rated," Robert said with a smile. "Besides, you've been in the same building as Sam Kinison, George Carlin, and Denis Leary's love-child over there. It's not like you haven't heard worse." He nodded to a certain billionaire eating his breakfast and whining to Bruce about a problem he was having with a project.

 

Tony looked at him affronted, while Robert enjoyed his food, and asked about the project. Tony scoffed after his inquiry, but Bruce ignored him and explained the problem they had concerning a formula meant to improve to the Iron Man Suit.

 

"Well, it sounds like you might be mixing imperial and metric measurements," Robert shrugged.

 

Tony rolled his eyes. "That's stupid, what the hell do you know...Wait, wait, wait! Damn it, that is the problem!" Tony leaped from his chair, and rushed out of the room yelling, "I have to go to the lab!"

 

Robert put his fork down and stared at Tony's now empty spot in shock. He turned to look at the rest of the team. "Is it a normal to have a gut feeling that he's going to blow all of us up?"

 

"YES!" everyone groaned.

 

Steve, who had been racking his brain trying to figure out Robert's earlier reference, turned his attention back to Robert with a sigh. "I still don't know who those people are."

 

Robert rubbed his face with one hand. "That's it. We need to give you a crash course on modern history and media. What the hell, let's kill three birds with a shotgun. We'll bring Thor and Loki along for the ride too."

 

"Three birds with a shotgun," Loki repeated with disdain as he walked into the room. "I see you're trying to show us all how witty you can be," he finished with a smirk.

 

Without warning Robert, spoke out with an outrageously bad French accent. "Thor, please take no offense to this, but... Loki, you empty-headed animal food trough wiper! I fart in your general direction! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!"

 

Pepper giggled quietly behind her coffee, Clint fell off his chairs laughing, Bruce accidentally spit out his coffee, and even Natasha was laughing. Steve smiled, despite not quite understanding the reference. Thor and Loki were completely clueless; they didn't understand the reference, and they were stunned by the vulgarity of the insults.

 

"BAM! Never underestimate the power of Monty Python!" Robert smirked, as he took his dish over to the sink, grabbed his coffee, and returned to his apartment.

 

Robert sat back down on the couch and he returned to finishing the files. He wrote about the general reactions of the team, and their attitudes concerning him. He finished about an hour later with a big stretch. "Jarvis, can I ask you a question?"

 

 _"Certainly, Sir, how can I assist you?"_  Jarvis answered.

 

"What are the odds that Mr. Nosy is going to ask you to hack into my computer?"

 

_"That would be 99.9%, Sir."_

 

"Figured as much…" Robert hummed in thought. "He can't hack into my computer if I take the battery out, right?"

 

 _"I don't know, Sir, I don't think anyone has gone that route,"_  Jarvis replied.  _"But I would agree."_

 

"Thanks Jarvis, you're probably the one person in this joint that I can count on to be honest," Robert mumbled as he powered down his computer and took out the battery. He chuckled, imagining Stark's reaction.

 

Meanwhile, Tony and Bruce were in the lab working on adding some upgrades to the Iron Man suit. "Tony, can you open the project file for me?" asked Bruce.

 

"Yeah, hold on a sec," Tony replied, as he walked over to the computer to pull up the files for Bruce. "Oh, and before I forget, Jarvis, can you check Robert's computer for those reports? I want to know what that jerk is saying about us."

 

Bruce shot Tony an incredulous look. "You're settling into paranoia quite nicely." Shaking his head, he continued, "They're going to do this one way or another Tony, so just let it go."

 

"I am not paranoid, thank you very much. I am just very nosey," Tony replied flippantly as he tapped his foot and waited for the information.

 

 _"I am sorry, Sir, but I can't access his laptop at this time, as there is no power source to the laptop,"_  Jarvis said.

 

"What do you mean there's no power source?" Tony sputtered.

 

_"I have located the laptop with my cameras and it appears the battery is missing."_

 

"That ass! If that doesn't prove he has something to hide, then what does?" Tony wondered, grumbling to himself. "How did he figure that one out?"

 

Bruce just smirked and went back to work, knowing that Tony would obsessively try to access those files. It would drive the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist nuts. When Tony goes nuts, hilarity is sure to ensue.


	6. I Would Like to Make you an Offer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper and Steve gets Pissed off, Confrontation ,

Later that day, Robert found himself once again staring at the photos in his wallet. No words were spoken, and no tears fell from his eyes, but it was clear that he was in a dark torrent of pain. He brought the wallet closer and he gave the photo a gentle peck. Closing his eyes, he folded it and put it back into his pocket. He was startled from his abstraction when the silence was broken by somebody pounding on the door. Robert sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Jarvis, who's out there with a sledgehammer?"

 

 _"It is Agents Barton and Romanoff, Sir,"_  replied the A.I. _"Would you like me to tell them that you are busy?"_

 

"No, thank you. Let them in please," requested Robert, getting up to greet his visitors. He tried to remain calm, but he had a gut feeling in the pit of his stomach that this was not going to be pleasant. As the two agents walked in the apartment, it became obvious that they were not here on a social call.

 

"Alright, Hall," Clint started, getting in Robert's face right from the get-go. "Your file has way too much red tape for you to be a simple case worker. So who are you, and what's your real business here?"

 

"What's the matter, agents? Is Stark rubbing off on you, so that you can't handle it when you don't know everything? Well, get over it. You are both S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents, and you should know by now that everyone has their secrets," said Robert, knowing full well that they would push back harder.

 

"I don't think you understand, Hall. We have to be able to trust you not to get the rest of us killed, and frankly, we don't trust you. You have to earn our trust, and having a file that has lots of holes in it isn't helping your case," explained Natasha. "I hope you know that we will find the information we want, one way or another."

 

"Oh, I don't doubt for a second that you're spies. You could weasel information out of me before I realized what was happening. But, I assure you that there's a reason that I got this job." Robert paused for a moment before continuing. "To be honest, I don't trust anyone on your team either. Have you ever heard the old saying, 'you will earn the trust and respect of others if you work for good; if you work for evil, you are making a mistake'?"

 

"Who the hell coined that?" Clint replied, face growing red with anger. "That's not a fucking expression, you jackass."

 

Robert sneered at him. "Proverbs 14:22— Solomon, son of David, and King of Israel, if you must know."

 

Clint's cheeks suddenly grew inflamed and then he immediately lost steam. "Oh, right."

 

Although she recognized Robert's point, Natasha was thrown off by Clint's reaction. "Still," she continued, "quoting a little bible verse won't impress me. The fact still remains that you came out of nowhere, have been ordering us around, and have been mocking our previous battles, yet we know nothing about you." The red-head cocked her head. "How are we to accept you as a leader?"

 

"Well, first off, I don't want to be your leader. I'm here as your advisor to try and help keep everyone out of trouble. I'm sincerely apologizing if this puts a damper on your dreams of us becoming soul mates, Mein armes kleines Mädchen," Robert smirked. "Look, I understand you're protecting the team, but I promise that there's nothing in my past that will threaten you guys. All I ask for is some time, because the only thing that I trust in this entire building right now is Jarvis, and he's a fucking machine. So, if there's no further pressing matters, leave my apartment," ordered Robert.

 

Natasha curled her lips in disgust at being spoken to in German. 'Poor little girl' her ass, she wanted to choke the living hell out of him. She took a step closer to him, when she heard someone behind her.

 

"Stand down, Agents," said Steve. "There's no need for bloodshed. Why don't you guys head out, and I will have a talk with Agent Hall."

 

Natasha eyed him defiantly, but when he didn't back down, she did. She nodded to Clint before looking back to Robert. "Don't think this conversation is over," Natasha promised darkly as she turned on her heels and stalked away.

 

Clint childishly made the 'I'm-watching-you' signal, and then turned to follow Natasha out. Robert just waved a dismissive hand at him, sneering.

 

After the door closed, Steve shook his head and asked, "Do you have a death wish? Most people don't live long after they bad-mouth her, and you've done it twice."

 

"Well, I thought my odds were pretty good considering that Tony's still alive." Robert shrugged his shoulders and walked over to the table, grabbing his briefcase.

 

"Yes, but Natasha views him as an asset. She views you as a hindrance to the team," said Steve, laughing a little. "So, do you care to explain why Jarvis told me to hurry over here, before Clint and Natasha repainted the walls to get rid of the blood?"

 

"Apparently, some people feel they have an inherent right to know everything about someone right away, and have no patience when kept in the dark," explained Robert as he motioned for him to sit. As Robert sat down himself, he opened his briefcase and pulled out a few files. "Look Steve, I know not one of you trust me. I get it, and to be honest, I don't trust you guys either. But we need something to build on, so let's call it stable ground and see what happens."

 

"You call mutual distrust 'stable ground'?" Steve sighed, running a hand down the back of his neck. "As strange as that statement is, I guess I'd agree with you. Although, I can't guarantee anyone else on the team would understand. The majority of the team aren't known for their patience. Plus, you're writing reports about us, and then preventing Tony from hacking your computer. I understand that you have a right to privacy, but everyone's suspicious and wondering about the reports."

 

Robert shrugged. "Yes, I understand that. Can you give me a second, please?" He rummaged through his files for a moment. "Steve, you're the team leader and I want to earn your trust. Here are all the files on the team. I would be honored if you would look them over and give me your opinion."

 

Steve was taken aback, not expecting Robert to do this. He took the files and read over them. He was impressed by Robert's methodical organization. The main folder contained a color coded spreadsheet containing everyone's names and basic information. It also contained a list with the Avenger's battles and all of the coordinating information, such as lives saved and the cost of damages. Each member then had their own folder which held a photo of each of them and more detailed biographies. It was all very typical, except for the few extra words written for each person.

 

 **Steve:** A good leader. He is behind the times, but easily the best man for the job. Should get a raise for having to deal with Tony.

 

 **Clint:** Quiet, calculating, protective. Has a strange affinity for air ducts and vents.

 

 **Bruce:** Genius, fair, wary of new people. Still fighting the Hulk.

 

 **Natasha:** Cold, honest, skeptical, protective. Do not want to be on her bad side.

 

 **Thor:** Loyal, honest, brave, oblivious. Protective over his brother, needs to be updated.

 

 **Loki:** Skeptical, quick witted, defensive, guarded (need more time). Possible candidate for spying and undercover work.

 

 **Tony:** World class jackass, seems to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder to the tenth degree. Attack plans are suicidal. But also protective, honest, genius, guarded, brave, and loyal. Good co-leader of the Avengers, able to provide insight and ideas that the leader may overlook. He would rather put himself in danger than have one of his teammates harmed.

 

Even Pepper and Jarvis had their own folders, despite not being official Avengers.

 

 **Pepper:** Loving, caring, protective, peaceful, watchful, displays superhuman strength of patience. Acts as mother hen to the Avengers.

 

 **Jarvis:** An artificial intelligence program created by Tony. Has a snarky attitude, but is protective of Tony and the Avengers. Has access to every room in the building.

 

Steve closed the folders and turned to face Robert. Choosing his words carefully, he spoke. "I can see why you were chosen for the job." Steve put out his hand. "Thank you for trusting me, and I would like to reciprocate that trust. I believe you're here for the right reasons."

 

Robert took his hand. "Thank you. All I wanted is a chance. I know that I still have a long way to go."

 

Steve stood up. "Just be careful about what you say and how you say it, y'know?" he warned as he walked over to the elevator. The doors opened, allowing him in. Before they closed, he offered Robert one final piece of advice. "The occupants of this building hold some strong opinions, and they have even longer memories."

 

Robert watched the doors close and gave an exasperated groan. As he sat down on a couch and started to review the files, he heard a familiar voice. _"Sir, is it true that you trust only me?"_  asked Jarvis. _"I admit, I am not sure how to proceed. I have not been programmed with an appropriate response to a statement such as that."_

 

Robert knew it wasn't wise to trust an A.I. unit, but he couldn't help it. Compared to the constantly changing emotions and reasoning of humans, his set programmed responses were a godsend. "Yeah, I guess I do… Well, I am starting to trust Steve more. Though, it's probably because you don't have anything to gain from betraying me," Robert started slowly, before grinning. "Besides, when you join a group, that's the first person you're supposed to befriend."

 

 _"Well, that is certainly kind of you."_  Before Robert could reply, Jarvis relayed a message.  _"You are being summoned. I believe they are getting dinner ideas together, Sir."_

 

"Okay. Hey, two quick questions," Robert said as he stood up.

 

_"Yes, Sir?"_

 

"I know you're probably programmed with loyalty to Mr. Stark and everything, but would you tell me if I was going to walk into a trap, when I go up there?" Robert inquired, wondering if Jarvis was programmed with the ability to lie.

 

 _"Normally, I would not, but in your case, I can make an exception,"_  Jarvis replied.

 

"So, okay, and if I told you something important, could you keep it a secret?"

 

 _"Yes, Sir. As long as I don't deem it threatening,"_  answered Jarvis. _"And if Sir directly asked me about something, I'd say something then."_

 

"Well then, Jarvis, there's something I would like to tell you. You asked about me about it last night, and I said that I would tell you when I felt more comfortable. Well, now might a good time. A few years ago…."

 

About fifteen minutes later, Robert gave a satisfied nod as he moved to meet with the others. He found it odd that when the doors opened, everyone went silent. The hair rose on the back of his neck.

 

"Well, if it isn't Mr. Secrets. We're so very pleased that you could join us," Tony snarked. "So, what's so important that you have to take the battery out of your computer? Plotting our demises? Planning a coup?"

 

Robert raised his arms up, like in an act of surrendering. "You caught me, and I'm planning to overtake Stark Tower using my secret army of Oompa Loompas," Robert deadpanned. He rolled his eyes at the billionaire jackass before continuing. "See, you just proved my point that as a team, you all have a fuckload of trust issues. It seems like the only thing you guys can bond over is kicking-ass together and not trusting others. Fuck it." He scrubbed his hands over his face, letting it drop. "Besides that, how the fuck do you stay in shape? Does anyone cook dinner here, or do you guys just eat out all the time?"

 

"Capsicle usually makes breakfast in the morning, anything goes at lunch, and dinner is takeout. And we exercise a lot. Why do you care?" Tony shot back.

 

Robert leaned up against a wall. "No need to be hostile. I'd like to make dinner for everyone, as a way of thanking all of you for allowing me to stay here... If that's okay."

 

Tony blinked incredulously. "You, cook for everyone? Why the hell not? Just tell Jarvis what you need. Can't wait to see what extravagant meal you make us; probably Peanut Butter and Jelly. Just so you know, one of us will be watching your sorry ass. I might die from alcohol poisoning, but I'm sure as hell not croaking from food poisoning." He walked away, laughing at his own joke. Robert heard Loki, Clint, and even Thor, chuckling quietly. Natasha sat unchanged, watching to see what he would do. Bruce just shook his head at his friends' immaturity.

 

The team looked at Robert, expecting a smart comeback, but there was no visible reaction from him. He let out a small sigh and pursed his lips a little. "Dinner will be at six tomorrow night. I would like to use the common area, if Clint and Natasha are okay with that, since we share the floor." Clint and Natasha nodded their heads in acceptance.

 

"If you want to come, please do; if not, no bad blood will be between us. I know I've said some things in jest, but it's not my intent to deliberately hurt someone or make them feel like shit. Yes, I have been hard on several of you, especially Loki, but, in all honesty, if he is truly sorry for what he did, then I'll have no real problems with him." Robert docilely walked towards the elevator, knowing he'd draw a guilty reaction.

 

Steve and Pepper looked at each other with shared guilt. Calling after him, Steve stalled him. "Robert, look, sometimes we get carried away. I am sure Tony didn't mean it like that. Why don't you stay and tell us what you want for dinner and we can work things out?" Everyone grew quiet, Natasha even looked puzzled, and she had guessed Robert's reaction wrong.

 

Robert turned to Steve. "No, it's alright. I'm gonna go to the market. I have to get a couple loaves of bread and some jelly. See you all tomorrow. Good night." With that, he walked into the elevator and was gone.

 

Tony walked over to the bar to get another drink, a self-satisfied grin plastered to his face, when suddenly he felt a small fist hit him in the arm. "Ow!" he yelped. As he turned to face his attacker, he was met with a fierce strawberry blonde. "What the hell was that for?" he demanded, stomach sinking as he met her eyes.

 

"Oh, don't you play innocent with me, you self-serving jackass. Your comments were completely out of line, and I'm ashamed to even be associated with you. You don't have to be nice to Robert, but I expect you to be civil. That applies to the rest of you as well." She turned her sharp gaze to the rest of them. Several of them lowered their heads in shame, but Loki just scoffed at her anger. "We're all going to go down there tomorrow night, and we are going to enjoy the dinner he makes. Is that understood? You are supposed to be positive role models and set good examples! Stop acting like children. Any questions?" Pepper finished coldly, meeting their eyes challengingly. No one dared to defy her; everyone nodded their head in grudging acceptance.

 

Steve stood up and looked at his team in disapproval. "You know, if everyone would stop treating him like a Nazi spy and take a few seconds to talk to him, you'd realize that he's just doing his job. Every time that I've talked to him, he's been perfectly polite and honest. To tell you the truth, he let me see all of the reports that he wrote about everyone."

 

Everyone gasped at him. "He let you see them?" Tony stuttered as color drained from his face. "What did they say?"

 

Steve looked at him. "He gave them to me, because he wanted my honest opinion and wanted to earn my trust."

 

Pepper deliberately looked at Tony, before turning to Steve. "Yes, let's share with everyone what he said, so we'll how he's trying to plot against the Avengers and hurt us." Everyone murmured their agreements, wanting to hear what was written about them.

 

"He didn't write much as far as commentary goes." He shrugged, and began going over what the reports said. Clint became flushed, Thor furrowed his brows, Bruce looked amazed, and Loki scoffed; even Natasha had her lips pursed.

 

Finally, Steve turned to Tony. "He actually had the most to say about you, Tony. He believes that you are a world class jackass, has have ADHD to the tenth degree, and he thinks that your attack plans are suicidal. "

 

Tony had been itching to jump up and declare he was right, but the blood immediately drained from his face when he heard was else was written about him. He slowly sank into a chair, silently contemplating this new information. Even the rest of the team looked amazed at the insight that Robert saw in Tony.

 

"There's two more. " Everyone looked at Steve curiously as he read the files on Pepper and Jarvis. Everyone nodded in agreement, but there were looks of guilt spreading throughout the room, except for one person.

 

Loki raised his head, wondering why he should care, being an immortal. He looked directly to Pepper and sneered. "I refuse to participate. I care not for his pathetic feelings."

 

As the words reached her ears, her head whipped around so fast that her ponytail snapped. Her eyes focused as she honed in on the god who was far too old to be acting like a rebellious preteen. She walked directly to the trickster.

 

Thor, who was in her path, hurriedly moved aside. He loved his brother, but there was no way that he was going to get in her way. Besides, a good tongue-lashing would serve Loki well.

 

She got within an inch of Loki's nose, causing him to flinch back slightly. She eyed him for a moment before speaking out in a sickly sweet tone. "You are most definitely coming to dinner tomorrow night." She smirked. "You may think you're off the hook for your crimes, but I haven't forgotten them. Remember who your main supporter was in coming here. I suggest an attitude change very quickly."

 

Loki looked genuinely concerned. He had heard rumors about Midgard's women, and Pepper was doing a good job of proving those rumors right. He looked past her to see Tony shaking his head, putting his hands together to pray. Pepper saw Loki looking past her, so she whipped her head and saw Tony. Her eyes narrowed to slits as she stared at him coldly. Tony noticed and quickly put his hands behind his back. She refocused on Loki. "Just so we are all clear, what are you doing tomorrow night?"

 

Loki felt a primal part of his brain screaming at him to say yes or risk death. "I will be present tomorrow night for dinner, and there will be no problems," he answered while avoiding her eyes.

 

With that, she turned and went to the elevator. The moment the doors opened, she turned and addressed the room. "I expect everyone to act like adults. This is not the example that New York's team of heroes should be setting."

 

As the doors closed, Tony's head hit the tabletop with a dull thud. "Ugggh," he groaned, feeling like a little boy being scolded.

 

Robert stopped in his room to grab his coat, wallet, and phone. He asked Jarvis where the nearest grocery store was and walked over to the market. As he walked out of the tower, he felt the cold autumn air, making him shiver. He crossed a few streets and came across a Morton Williams store.

 

It wasn't a Wal-Mart Superstore, but it was good enough. As he browsed the aisles, Robert kept thinking 'Ungrateful bastards, I'll show them all.'

 

As he walked back to the tower, the anger had started to fade away. 'I'll show them a dinner,' he thought and walked into the building. As he rode the elevator up, he told Jarvis all the tools he'd need for the food preparation. When he walked off the elevator Jarvis told him that the items would be available by tomorrow morning.

 

As he walked into the kitchen, he started to put the items away, double checking that he hadn't missed anything. Feeling satisfied, he went into his room and subsequently fell asleep.

 

While he slept, a person made their way into the kitchen. They checked through the refrigerator and all the cabinets, careful not to disturb the bagged items. As they left the kitchen, Jarvis heard a faint whisper. "At least he's not a quitter. If this dinner isn't some huge joke, maybe I could give him a chance." With that, the person disappeared into the darkness.


	7. Uninvited Dinner Guest (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner served, A New Member

As the sun rose out from its dark slumber, Robert lay awake, staring at the ceiling. His mind thought about what had happened the previous day with the Avengers. He knew a single dinner wouldn't fix everything, but he hoped it would start to bring everyone closer. With a determined glint in his eyes, he rose and dressed himself.

 

He entered the kitchen, only to be dismayed as he rummaged through the cupboards. 'Fucking great, of course I forgot to buy coffee', he bemoaned. 'I'm going to have to go borrow some from the 'neighbors.'' He grabbed his large coffee cup, which was orange on the outside and black on the inside. On it was his favorite Disney character, Stitch. He liked the fictional alien because Stitch reminded Robert of himself.

 

He walked to the elevator and went upstairs to get a cup of java, while thinking about how to plan everything. As the doors opened, Robert spied Pepper in the kitchen. Taking a deep breath, he walked over to her. "Good morning Pepper. How are you doing today?"

 

"I'm fine, thank you. How are you?" Pepper paused and sighed. "Look, I am sorry about last night. Tony was being… well, Tony. I know he can be an insufferable ass, but he's a good person. While I'd understand if you didn't want to be here, I hope that we can still move forward and coexist peacefully."

 

"Pepper, relax," he replied with a kind smile. "My skin is a lot thicker than that. I said my peace last night, and I'm over it. Life is too short to hold silly little grudges. So Hakuna Matata, alright?"

 

 _"Agent Hall, the supplies you requested have been to delivered to the common kitchen area on your floor,"_  informed Jarvis.

 

"The day is already looking up. Thank you, Jarvis. Well, if you'll excuse me, Pepper, I'm going to be doing a lot of prepping for tonight." Robert smiled as he moved to get and leave the room.

 

"Out of curiosity, what are we having for tonight?" asked Pepper.

 

"Well, hopefully it will be a delightful surprise that everyone will enjoy," Robert stated. He paused for a moment before inquiring. "But then again, I've never cooked for the Avengers before, so it's going to be challenging. Do you know if anyone is allergic to anything?"

 

"Yes, I'm allergic to strawberries. As for the others, I'm not sure, but I'm sure Jarvis will let you know," replied Pepper.

 

"I see, thanks. I'll see you." With that, Robert made his exit.

 

When he opened his door, he was met by several boxes stacked on the ground. "Well, might as well get to work. Jarvis, please play my playlist on shuffle at a reasonable volume."

 

With an internal groan, he started opening the boxes. He opened countless types of kitchen supplies & utensils. Once he finished unpacking, he started to wash and dry all the items.

 

"Well, don't you have a lot to do." Robert jumped as Natasha appeared behind him.

 

"Oh hey, where's your other half?" Robert asked.

 

"Right here." Clint's appeared from within a ceiling vent. Robert just shook his head as Clint lowered himself from the vent.

 

"Yeah, it's going to be busy day... Hey, could I ask you for a minor favor? Could you keep anything you see to yourself. I would like this to be a surprise."

 

Natasha smirked. "Sure, we can keep your secret, although we may ask you for a favor in return; quid pro quo." Robert blanched, but she quickly continued. "We have errands to run, so we'll be away until dinner."

 

"Hope everything goes well. Good luck," Robert said as they left.

 

An hour later, he was ready to start preparing the food. He got out the ground beef and threw it into a bowl. Then he mixed some Jack Daniels and two cans of Guinness beer and poured the mixture into the beef, before adding some garlic. Once the ingredients were properly mixed, he put an air tight seal on the bowl and placed it into the refrigerator. He began to cut up the onions, peppers, and mushrooms. He turned on the fan above the stove and started to sauté the vegetables.

 

While he was doing this, he heard a familiar voice spark from the ceiling.  _"Sir, may I inquire as to what you are making?"_  inquired Jarvis. _"I have been searching many recipes, and nothing matches what you are making."_

 

"I was wondering when you were going to ask. I'm making meatloaf, mashed potatoes and onion brown gravy, sweet buttered corn, blueberry muffins, and for dessert, Georgia Peach Cobbler with vanilla ice cream," he answered as he added some more butter to the vegetables.

 

 _"Well, I do believe that this should be very good meal. I don't believe any of the Avengers have had these items in a very long time. If I can help at all with monitoring temperatures, please ask,"_  said Jarvis, always helpful.

 

After stirring the vegetables to a perfect golden brown, he prepared the batter for the muffins. Turning around, he almost dropped the flour. There before him was a dark-haired demigod, wearing a green shirt and black jeans.

 

"So, this is the grand feast you have planned? I can't wait to see the disappointed looks on everyone's faces," Loki sneered.

 

 _"Agent Hall, it is 9:30 and you have not taken your medication."_ Jarvis reminded him.

 

"Whoops, thank you Jarvis." With that, Robert took his pill, before turning his attention to the trickster.

 

"Really, is that best you can do for mockery? I've seen six year olds with sharper tongues than you," Robert mocked. "Besides, I've just started cooking, ya moron. So, can I help you with anything else, or do you plan to continue mocking me like a 3rd grader? If it's the last option, I'm going to have to ask you to leave, because unlike you, I have things to do." Having had his say, he turned away from the trickster and went about preparing the muffins.

 

Loki gaped at Robert. Nobody had back talked him so quickly and thoroughly since he was a child. Curious, he watched Robert stir in the little blue things. "What are those things that you just dumped in?"

 

"Blueberries. They're a 're sweet, but sometimes a little tart as well. Want one?" Robert offered. Loki picked one up and ate it, face neutral as he processed the taste.

 

"I don't understand what's so good about these 'blueberries'. They're quite mundane," commented Loki, but despite his words, Robert spied him sneaking several more.

 

Robert was actually shocked that Loki hadn't spat it out and complained about the 'vile taste'.

 

'Loki can actually like something, holy hell the world is going to end. Here comes Ragnarok.' "Uh, here they can grow on trees, or vines, or even bushes. There's also strawberries, pineapples, apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, lemons… Well, those are actually sour, but you get the point. There's a lot," he explained, with Loki nodding at appropriate intervals.

 

"So this must be the realm where apples came from, on Asgard they are considered a sacred food, they're not for common peasants to eat," stated Loki. "They cause a lot of trouble where I'm from…" he cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable, "Asgard, I mean."

 

Robert skimmed over the little slip-up, "You can have more, if you help me out for a little while. " he offered, "All you would need to do is scoop the mixture into these tins."

 

Loki feigned a look of deep contempt, before finally caving, 'What the hell.'

 

"Very well. How much mixture do I need to put in?"

 

 _'Holy shit, it worked,'_ Robert thought gleefully.

 

He handed the Asgardian a small measuring cup, "Fill this up, and then pour it into each cup, please." They worked in silence, before Robert decided to dig for information, "So, what brought you down here today? Were you bored or lonely?"

 

"If you must know, I was, as you would say, 'bored'." Loki continued, "I wanted to ask how you came up with those replies. I've been around for a millennia, yet your comments tend to be quite original. I am curious why my remarks hold no effects, yet the Tony's comment bother you so?" He poured the batter into the tins, taking his time to be neat.

 

"Many years of Monty Python TV and a very creative mind is all I can say." Robert replied. "As for Tony, sometimes the right words at the right time will cause the most damage." Robert noted how obsessively neat Loki was being. 'Irony, it is a beautiful thing,' Robert thought.

 

Robert's stomach growled, signaling lunch time. He looked over to Loki, who was almost done with his task, "Hey, are you hungry at all? I was going to stop to eat something, and then get back to work."

 

Loki's stomach growled, "Okay, I am hungry. What do you have to eat?"

 

Robert pulled out some left overs from the night before, and reheated it. They shared meal while chatting, although Loki was growing more anxious by the second. Robert chuckled to himself, 'Imagine if the rest of the team saw this scene. They would be very confused.'

 

Loki was silent for a moment before he finally burst, "I thought you didn't trust me? Why are you acting like a friend? " His eyes narrowed.

 

Robert eyed the suspicious god and smirked, "I was wondering how long it would take you to ask... You're right, I don't particularly trust or like you; but, I don't believe in holding grudges. I doubt you're ready to hear a complex reason as to why I treat you cordially." He could see a wash of confusion and concern on Loki's face, I doubt he understand the Christian faith; especially concerning love of forgiveness. That'll have to be saved for another time.'

 

"I assure you, I mean no harm... Unless you give me reason to." Robert paused for a moment before continuing, "There is something I want to talk to you about…."

 

A few minutes later, Robert was cleaning up the lunch, and Loki just stood awkwardly to the side, lost in thought. Robert finished wiping the table, and eyed Loki, "Hey you, will the aliens that stole Loki's mouth please return it? Oh, wait, you are an alien." Loki snapped out of his musings. Robert smirked, "How's your boredom?"

 

Loki smirked a little, "I must admit, I have been enjoying my time here. It's nice not being criticized, mocked, or looked at with hatred all the time." Robert glanced at Loki silently; keeping his mouth shut and just nodding along.

 

Ready to continue cooking, he got up and went to the refrigerator. He opened the door and got out the meat, A-1 steak sauce, the sautéed veggies, eggs, cheese, and some Stove Top stuffing.

 

Loki saw all the items and felt himself grow curious as to what meal could possibly be. He watched Robert pull out three large glass dishes and set them on the counter. Robert mixed the steak sauce and the eggs together in the first bowl. Next he took the lid off the glass bowl, when he asked Robert what the aroma was, Robert just smiled as he explained that is was a marinade. He opened the stuffing and dumped it into the meat, before adding the golden brown veggies and cheese. Then he added some milk and the contents of the first bowl to the meat. He mixed the meat with the other items until it was evenly mixed.

 

Robert took the meat out of the bowl and separated it into several rectangular glass dishes. As he did so, he shaped them into what looked like a loaf of bread. After he shaped the last loaf, he took the ketchup and BBQ sauces, and used them to cover the loaves equally. Robert set the oven to 250 degrees, and put the meat in the oven.

 

"Jarvis, after two hours can you please adjust the temperature to 300 degrees, then set an alarm for two more hours." Robert asked.

 

"Time to make dessert and then clean up," Robert commented, "You know, I appreciate your help,"

 

Jumping right in, he opened a large can of peaches and apple cider, mixing the two items together. He got two casserole dishes out, and spread butter on the bottoms of each pan. He then poured the peaches into the dishes, and covered them with a dough layer. Covering them in plastic wrap, he put them in the refrigerator.

 

"I'll put them in the oven when we start eating. The corn and gravy won't take long to cook, so I'll worry about that right before dinner starts. Right now, all we have to do is just clean up and set the table. Oh, before I forget." Robert handed over the fruit bowl to Loki, "A deal's a deal."

 

Loki just stared at the fruite strangely, looking down at the bowl as if something rotten or even poison might be in it, 'Why is he being so kind? We've been down here for hours now and he's been nothing if not polite and and even friendly... ' Loki mused. He was about to say something, when he heard the only voice that would make him feel uneasy besides Thanos himself.

 

"So, there you are Loki, I was wondering where you've been hiding all day. Thor is looking for you," said Pepper as she came into the kitchen. She made a pointed look at Robert before turning her sharp gaze back to Loki, "I hope you remember our little conversation."

 

Loki visibly swallowed, looking uncomfortable, "Well, I- um, I mean, ahem-"

 

"It's fine, Pepper. Loki's actually been helping me," Robert cut in, "Thanks again for everything, Loki, but it'd probably be best if you left now. I'd rather not have Thor come down here looking for you. I'm afraid he would tell everyone about the food, and I want to keep it a secret."

 

"Valhalla knows that man cannot keep his mouth shut to save his life, and I mean that very literally," he said with a snort, raising an eyebrow that Robert actually was trusting him with something. "See you in few hours." He all but ran as he left the room.

 

I don't think I've ever heard him stutter before... Why did you bail him out just then?" Pepper asked in suspicious confusion.

 

"Well, first off, I think he was in shock that someone would trust him with something." Robert shrugged before continuing, "I figured after I left last night, you and Steve would chew everyone out for being a bunch of assholes. Knowing Loki, he probably decided to be an ass and got an extra dose of bitch-slapping." Robert guessed, as he started to clean up the dishes and everything else. Seeing the surprised looked on Pepper's face, Robert knew he'd hit the nail on the head. "Remember, I was married, I know what happens when you piss off a woman. Anyway, he came down here to test the waters himself, and I thought being nice to him would give him a big enough shock, to guilt into acting civil for a while."

 

Pepper nodded along, "That makes sense. Well, I'll leave you be so you can finish. See you in a few hours." Pepper started to walk away, but turned before she made her final exit, "By the way, I really do hope this meal is half as delicious as it smells. I love it when people make Tony eat his words. You really got him this time, didn't you?"

 

Robert just stared at her, as a big shit-eating grin grew on his face."Absolutely." With that, she left, and he went back to cleaning up.

 

Everything was ready: the tables were set up, the corn and gravy were on a low heat, he had triple checked the meatloaves, and the muffins were almost done.

 

 _'Damn, I am just that good,'_  Robert thought, as all of the Avengers entered the room.


	8. Uninvited Dinner Guests (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner goes on, Robert explains things,

There in the center of the room, was a large square table, with a huge Montvale Woven Jacquard Tablecloth covering it. There were wooden chairs all around the table, each chair had a pearl white dinner plate, a salad and dinner fork on the left, then on the right was a knife and 2 spoons. There was a full crystal water glass, and an empty wine glass, there were autumn themed napkin folded the Diamond Arrow style. There were six bottle s of wine in ice on the table, 3 red and 3 white.

 

Robert was pleased with his guest's reactions, he hope that he would catch everyone off guard, he had busted his ass getting everything setup. He was grateful of Jarvis telling about the conference supplies closet.

 

"Okay my first question, where did you get all this stuff, and please tell me you did not buy it." asked Tony as he was coming out of the shock.

 

"Ha-ha, no Jarvis told me about your conference supply room, he felt that would make things nicer for the dinner." Said Robert

 

" _Ladies and Gentleman, if you could please take a seat, dinner is ready."_  said Jarvis  _"Sir and Miss Potts please sit at the head of the table. Could Agent Barton, Agent Romanoff, Dr.Foster and Prince Odinson, please sit on Sir's right please. And Prince Laufyson, Captain Rogers, and Dr. Banner please sit on Ms. Potts' left, thank you very much."_

 

As they sat down at the table, everyone noticed 2 spots left at the bottom of the table. Clint spoke first, "Expecting someone to come?" as he sat down between Tony and Natasha.

 

"Let's just say I have a good hunch." Please help yourself to the wine; I will bring the food over." Replied Robert as he opened the oven and took out the meatloaves and muffins. Then he took the cobblers out of the refrigerator and put those in the oven and set the timer for 40mins 275 degrees. Bruce and Steve offered to help carry the food over, Robert accepted their help and instructed them where to put the food.

 

As all the food sat in front of them, they took a moment to look at the feast, "Really, I can't believe it, it is meatloaf, it has been decades since I had meatloaf" Steve spoke, Of course it would make perfect sense on that statement coming from him

 

"Well let's eat." Tony said, as he was about to cut the meatloaf, as he picked up a knife to cut the food. Suddenly he felt a whack on his leg, he knew it was Pepper. He was going to yell at her and find out what the problem was, but then he saw almost everyone had their hands folded for grace. "Oh yeah, sorry." said Tony softly as he put his hands together.

 

 **"Lord Jesus Christ, Friend of sinners, we thank you for the friendships we have, Prince of peace, we ask you that we may be peacemakers. Lord of all, we thank you for this food. Bless it to our bodies, we pray. May the Holy Spirit, guide us to safety in battle. My Lord hold our loved ones in comfort as they wait for us. In our faith, we say** **Amen**." Preached Robert, as he looked up and around, he was surprise to see everyone even Loki and Thor, were quiet and respectful. "Okay enough of this, Let's Eat!" Robert said, which made everyone smile and laugh.

 

"Hey Wait a minute, where is my plate?" asked Tony

 

"Oh my mistake let me get for you." said Robert as he got up, walked into the kitchen, he came out of the kitchen with a plate and a metal lid on top. As he set it down in front of Tony, he pulled the lid off, and there was a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich, "I hope you like grape jelly?" said Robert.

 

Tony looked at the sandwich for a second, he wanted to slug him. Then he remembered the comment he had made the night before, as he stood up, turned to face and looked Robert in the eye, there was an uneasy silence for a few moments, as everyone waited and watched. Pepper reached up to touch his arm, but then Tony cleared his throat and then said, "Um, well played sir, I was an ass to you and I am truly sorry, you have earned some of my respect." and then he put his hand out.

 

Robert looked Tony, he knew there a lot of different ways that could have gone, but this was the one he had hoped for. Robert took the hand, and gave him a firm shake, "All is forgiven, you have my respect." and proceed to get Tony a clean plate. As everyone ate, many questions were asked to Robert, from where did the recipe come from, where did he cook at, what items did he use, and then about twenty minutes later voice from the ceiling spoke.

 

" _I am sorry to interrupt but Nick Fury, and Maria Hill are here with an Agents Stones and some FBI Agents."_  Said Jarvis

 

"Well, how about that, I was right" said Robert "I knew they would be showing up tonight."

 

As the elevator opened up, "YOU ARE DAMN RI-! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" as Nick Fury stopped in front everyone.

 

"Well it looks like dinner, you could see that if you looked out the eye that wasn't covered." said Tony, as he took a sip of wine. Knowing full well that would piss him off more.

 

"Agent Hall, You better have an explanation for this, and you have 3 minutes or I will have your ass fired." said the man with a bald head, thin glasses and a large gut, who was standing to the left of Commander Hill.

 

"What I am? doing my assignment that my supervisor at SHIELD gave me. I am helping a team bond, and then work on their public image." said Robert as he ate some potatoes like nothing was wrong.

 

"Well, you weren't supposed to get this job; this was supposed to be Agent Michaels job. As of now I am transferring you back to FBI. Get your stuff and let's go now" Said Agent Stones

 

"Michaels is a window licking, cum-sucking, sheep rapist, ass kissing weasel loving bastard, who is lousy ass agent." Fired back Robert, "By the way, it was also you transferred me 2 years ago, so according to the agreement that is between the FBI and SHIELD, Which I am sure Agent Hill has memorized. On the agreement only the Director and Deputy Director, have the right to release any agent back to the agency that they came from. So why don't you ask the two nice people next to you?" The Avengers stopped what they were doing, they were amazed how Robert was not intimated by anyone.

 

Stones was stunned, how dare Hall talk to him this way, "Who the hell do you think you are, I am your boss, I don't care what that stupid paper has to say with that worthless SHIELD agency." Fury and Hill turn to face him, they could not believe he had the balls to say that in front of them.

 

Before Michaels could move, "I HAD ENOUGH OF THIS SHIT, I have never heard of the policy." Yelled Fury who had reached his breaking point

 

"I am sorry director, but Agent Hall is right, and you never heard of it because you don't read half of my emails." said Commander Hill

 

"Oh, well regardless of that, Agent Hall." Fury said, as he was rubbing his head.

 

"Yes, Sir" Robert said as he stood up.

 

"Explain to me one simple reason why I don't end this and get rid of you, so we can leave." Fury said, as he was rubbing his head more

 

"I will do better sir, I can offer you more than one: In less than 36 hours, of meeting the Avengers, I have start to build friendships with, Miss Potts and Steve, got Tony Stark to apologize to me, calm down Bruce from turning to the hulk, survived Natasha's Death Stare 3 times, and spent 6 hours with Loki, starting to build a trusting relationship with him, got all the Avengers to sit at dinner table, say grace, and then eat for at least 30 minutes, with them being quiet and respectful to one another, and finally I am ninety percent sure, the psychological condition that all the Avengers have together and why they need each other." Stated Robert, the rest of the Avengers were shocked quiet, as they thought over what Robert had just said. Everything he had just said was true.

 

"Oh, one more thing sir, I am sorry I almost forgot there is one Avenger that has earned my complete trust, Jarvis." said Robert, getting mad at himself for not including that, the first time.

 

"For everything you just said, and you think that gives you any credit, that is all bullshit crap. You called a stupid computer an Avenger, what are you, ha-ha-ha-ha, an idiot." Said Michaels

 

"That stupid Computer is, the Lifeline of this Tower, You jackass. I am the one who built that Computer. If I ever hear you call Jarvis stupid again, I will put on my suit and fly your ass to the North Pole and drop you off." Said Tony, It would be a cold day in hell if someone attacked Jarvis, and what was with every single federal agent coming into his building and giving the Avengers attitude.

 

"Agents Barton and Romanoff", Fury called out, "Is any of this information that Agent Hall has stated at all true." Fury knew he could get the facts out of them.

 

Natasha and Clint looked at each other and nodded, Clint stood up, he looked at Robert and then he looked at the director and said, "Yes sir, they are all true, and with all due respect sir. We would like to retract our request to have him removed." Fury looked at his agents thinking what the hell is going on here.

 

"A word with you, Commander in the elevator." Fury said to Hill and walked over to it. She followed him and they walked inside, you could hear some muffled yelling, but after a few minutes they came out. "Jarvis, I two questions for you." Fury said to Jarvis.

 

 _"Yes sir, how may I help you?"_  Jarvis asked

 

Fury responded with, "One can you give me a honest opinion without being bias, and two please compare all information on both agents and tell us who is the best person for job."

 

" _Yes sir I can give you an honest answer and I have already made a final calculation to the best agent. That is Agent Hall."_  said Jarvis

 

"Agent Hall?" said Fury

 

"Yes sir" said Robert, as he turned to face the directors

 

"Agent Hall" said Fury, he paused for a second, "How would you like to join the Avengers, granted it is a trial basis." He hated when other agencies tried to screw him or his people.

 

"Yes sir, thank you sir." Said Robert, as a big smile appeared on his face and he sat down.

 

"To hell with this bullshit, Agents get Hall now!" shouted out a red face Stones, he was furious, he did not care what SHIELD said, he was going to have his way

 

As the FBI agents took a step forward, 3 knives came out of nowhere and 2 landed directly between their legs and one flew between them into the wall. They both stopped, as they looked at the table of superheros, they saw Clint and Natasha had their guns aimed, Thor had his Mjolnir in his hand, Tony, Steve, Bruce looked like they were ready to rumble, and even Jane, Pepper and Loki, had pissed off looks on their faces. Then there were the sounds of two guns from Fury and Hill aimed at the Agents

 

"I am only going to say this once, Do not make a Stupid Ass Decision, Do not Fuck with My Agents." said Fury

 

"That was a warning shot, there will not be another. this is the part of the movie, where you leave or you can die." said Agent Hall smiling at the fact that the Avengers have accepted him. The FBI agents, knew they had no chance, so they turned around and walked to the elevator with Stones, yelling, "You're finished Hall, you're finished!"

 

After the FBI agents have left, a loud rumbling sound suddenly filled the room. Fury looked down at his stomach; he realized that he had not eaten since the morning. Hall said, "Have a seat, please there is plenty of food."

 

Fury and Hill looked look each other, "What do you have anyway?" asked Fury

 

"Well, there is meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn, brown gravy, and blueberry muffins." said Robert as offered the new guests food, as they ate the food, they gave Robert compliments on the food.

 

A few minutes went by Natasha looked at Robert, and said, "You knew Jarvis was going to pick you, didn't you." She had a hunch and she usually was right, and another smile appeared on Robert's face, she knew she was right.

 

Hall smiled at her and said, "I was 90% sure that he would, I mean things happen for a reason and I knew that, because somebody in this room had hacked into the FBI, saw the email, and changed the list of agents that was supposed to get this job. The reason I know this, is because I saw the original email, and my name was not on it."

 

After the words left Robert's mouth, the room became very quiet; everybody was trying to figure it out, so everyone stared at the known hacker of the group. Robert just looked around the room; he thought to himself, 'Damn, these people are too predictable.' So he said, "Tell you what, I will be nice and I will tell you who did it, I mean they had the group's best intentions in mind."

 

Fury looked at Robert, "I don't give a damn, what they had in mind, it had to be Stark, and you are always hacking to our system and doing shit."

 

Tony was about the defend himself, Robert jumped before, "Actually sorry Fury, it was not Stark, or Barton, or Natasha."

 

So everyone looked at each other, well there was only one other genius in the room, so everyone starts to look at Bruce. "Good Guess, but it was not him either." said Robert, holding up a glass of white wine to the light.

 

"Well, who is the mysterious person?" asked Thor, who had been very quiet and just observing everything that has been happening.

 

"Hmmm, Oh I don't know if I should tell you." as a small smirk went across Robert's face, "What do you think." Everybody was looking to see who Robert was trying to make eye contact with, "I mean you are pretty quiet, I don't think the group will be mad at you now." And then he paused, he took a sip of wine and set the glass down, looked at the ceiling and said, "It is okay, I understand why you did it, Jarvis." The room became deathly quiet as the shocked settled in

 

" _How did you know it was me sir."_  Said the A.I. in the ceiling ever so quietly

 

**Notes:**

the prayer is highlighted and underline, because i feel it would be something that would want to be taken seriously


	9. The Shrink is In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I am not a therapist in anyway. The psychological problems are just my opinion. After all, this is just a fictional story.

Shocked silence rocketed throughout the room following Jarvis’s statement. Being able to hear the sound of a pin drop wouldn't be an exaggeration. Tony’s mouth had dropped open, Steve was confused as hell, Jane and Bruce were trying to figure it out, Pepper and Natasha were looking at Tony, and even Loki and Thor were in shock.

 

Finally, to break the silence, Clint spoke up, "Um, Robert, with all due respect... how the hell did you figure that out?"

 

"Well, yes, I'll get to that, but first: DESSERT!" Robert stalled. He stood up and walked over to the oven, he praying that Jarvis kept an eye on it. As he opened the oven door he breathed a sigh of relief, "Thanks Jarvis, I greatly appreciate it."

 

 _"You are welcome, sir, although I concur with Agent Barton. I would like to know how you figured it out."_ Jarvis replied.

 

"All good things come to those who wait. Now, does anyone have room for some peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream?" Robert chuckled when everyone's hand shot up.

 

Fifteen minutes later, everybody was rubbing their stomachs. Even Fury, Hill, and Loki had big smiles on their faces. "Agent Hall, I have to admit, that was the best and most entertaining dinner I have had in a very long time." commented Fury.

 

"Thank you very much, sir.” Robert paused dramatically for a moment, “Now, I’m sure everyone would like the mask to be ripped off of this Scooby Doo villain...Okay, everyone’s aware that Tony never listens to reason, and Jarvis is protective of Tony right? Well, I’m fairly certain that Jarvis looks electronically for anything that concerns the Avengers, Stark Industries, or Tony and Pepper, right?"

 

“You’d be correct on that note.” Tony agreed.

 

Robert nodded, "So, Jarvis finds the email sent to the FBI, CIA , NSA, and god knows who else, concerning this assignment. Then, Jarvis analyzes every name on the list and comes to the conclusion that they are not...equipped to properly handle the case. Jarvis has two choices. One: he can tell Tony or Pepper which will lead to Tony storming into Fury's office and blowing it all to hell. Which, correct me if I'm wrong, would lead to Fury snapping and possibly, likely, shooting Tony. Tony had an affronted look on his face, while Fury was nodding his head yes.

 

"Option two: Jarvis analyzes the roster of each agency to find an agent that would best fit the government and Avengers’ needs. Long story short, he decides I'd be the best candidate; since I already I work for S.H.I.E.L.D., so, Jarvis changes the email and adds me to the top of the list... How am I doing there, Jarvis, ole buddy?" asked Robert.

 

 _"Actually sir, you are quite right. I am amazed."_ commented Jarvis.

 

"Okay, so there’s a three person committee that got to make the decision. My guess is that with the deadline approaching, Jarvis slightly altered the spelling of their names in everyone's contacts and consequently created bogus email addresses for them. That way, when applications were sent in, the committee never actually received them. That’s when Jarvis sends the email recommending me. He probably sent in some other applications as well to reduce any suspicion. So, here comes the deadline date, and there is my information and a bunch of losers. And TA-DA, here I am," said Robert, as he got up to get a beer, offering to everyone. Clint, Tony, and Jane accepted.

 

"That is the most insane,  Oliver Stone's conspiracy theory I have ever heard, and I’ve heard some weird ones," Hill shook her head, as if that would bring her back to reality.

 

That’s when Jarvis cut in, _"Agent Hall, I am truly surprised.You are quite correct. How did you figure this out? Also, I would like to hear your theory on their psychological conditions."_

 

Robert straightened his back, “About that, I actually have a hypothesis that they all share the same psychological problems.”

 

"Yeah, about that, us all sharing the same one that is impossible. That only happens on TV."  Clint interrupted.

 

"I am going to agree with Clint. I don't see how it’s possible," added Bruce

 

"We’re all screwed up, but please, let's hear your diagnosis." Tony took a swig from the beer.

 

“Well, let’s take it person by person. Bruce is afraid of losing control over the Hulk and going wild. The Hulk is afraid of Banner trying to get rid of him. Clint is afraid of losing control over his own mind and body again, like when Loki took control of him.Tony is afraid of not being in control of his own life, and his own inventions, like what happened in Afghanistan. Natasha’s afraid, to face her past, and constantly fights to keep it from controlling her to this day. Thor’s afraid of losing control of his brother, and thus losing his love.Steve’s afraid of losing control over his life, again. I mean the guy basically had a seventy year time jump, and now he has to adjust to a completely new world. Then, there’s Loki, who’s fighting to control every aspect of his life, since almost everything he’s ever known to be true, turned out to be a lie. That’s why he made a deal with the devil, or more accurately, Thanos; he was tired of living in Thor’s shadow. Of course, that doesn’t excuse his actions now.

 

"To sum it all up, every single one of you suffer from the fear of losing control, I’m included in this as well. My file has so much red tape, because of my personal past. Remember the crazy Italian woman? Well, we divorced and she took my daughter. I ended up getting married to another woman, who had  a son from a previous marriage." Robert paused and for a moment and then sat down, struggling to find the right words.

 

Robert thickly swallowed, "We were married for over seven years, and it was   r-re, uh, r-really g-good,"

 

"Robert, it’s okay. You don't have to force it out. You can stop," said Steve placed his hand on Robert’s shoulder, but it was shrugged off.

 

“Brave Robert, take comfort. You are among friends,” Thor stated, bringing his fist to his heart.

 

“About two and a half years ago, I um…” Robert shuddered, fighting back tears, “-my family.”

 

Pepper got up and walked over to Robert, putting her hands on his shoulders. “It’s okay, Robert, we understand. We’ve all gone through hard times.”

 

Robert began crying more, knowing he had to get it out. Finally, he felt a burning gaze against his face and looked up, seeing Loki’s eyes, such a deep green. He could tell at that moment that Loki knew what he’d done.

 

Taking in a breath of resolve, Robert forced the words out as everything faded to black.

 

 

_"I killed my family."_

  
  



	10. That is An Odd Happening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> drug overdose, Avengers help, Loki and Guilt? There is a mystery

The first thing Robert felt were warm hands holding his, their skin so soft and smooth. Voices started to break through the fuzziness, but they were still jumbled, a lot of commotion going on. He feels a dull pain in his head, a little on the front and a lot on the back. He hears a moaning sound, and takes a second to realize that it had come from his own mouth. "Dr. Banner, come here, he is coming to," he hears a little more clearly. As his eyes start to open, it took a moment for his blurry vision to focus on the faces of Pepper and Natasha directly over him. "Robert, are you okay? Do you know where you are?" Pepper asked. "Can you say something? Are you okay?"

 

"Well, now I understand that line from Hotel California, 'This could be Heaven or this could be Hell.' What the hell happened?" Robert asked dazedly. As he tried to get up, there was hand on his chest, keeping him down. Following the arm to see who it belonged to, he found that it was Bruce's.

 

"Easy there, just lay back down; you hit your head twice when you passed out," said Bruce as he started to look over Robert for signs of bleeding or swelling on the head. After a moment, he let a small gust of air, as if in relief that everything looked okay. "You can get up now, just go slow. Everything looks okay, but I would like to CAT scan you just to be safe."

 

Bruce and Steve held out their hands to Robert, who took both and gripped them tight, feeling them lifting him up slow and easy. "Okay, now does someone want to tell me what happened, and does anyone have some Advil?"

 

"Well, you told us that you killed your family and your eyes went into the back of your head. Then you fell out of your chair and the back of your head bounced off of the floor like a Ping-Pong ball. Then you went nighty-nighty for a little bit," said Stark, still in his chair drinking a beer.

 

"Sorry, I guess I should have warned you that with my condition, in high stress moments I can have a micro-sleep. Damn narcolepsy," said Robert as he was helped into a chair. As he looked around at the Avengers, he saw a look of concern on some of their faces; he knew what they were thinking.

 

"Okay, for those thinking it, I don't have these moments in a gun fights, because if I did I would be dead. I meant  _emotional_  stress." He chuckled a little when he saw the concerned faces relax. The next thing Robert saw was Tony motioning that he was going to throw something at him. It looked like an energy drink can. Robert raised his hand, and Tony lobbed it over to him.

 

Robert looked at the can. It was a brand, and he'd never seen it before. Tony then said, "They work great. They can keep me up for a day straight. It's my own personal mix."

 

Robert opened the 16 oz. can and drank it – No, it was more like he chugged it quickly. About 5 minutes later, Robert felt awake, like he could kick the ass of everyone in the room. He felt fast and strong; he felt  _alive!_  He felt like he was invincible, he felt happy!  _'Wait a minute; I should not feel like this. Why I am shaking?'_

 

"Tony, what the hell is in this?!" he shouted.

 

Tony acted like he was thinking, and then he said, "Well, it has around six hundred milligrams of caffeine, green tea, and a lot of other fifteen-letter word ingredients. It works really well. Why do you ask?"

 

"Because I already have fifty five milligrams of Adderall in me and four hundred milligrams of Provigil in me,  _that's why!_  Holy shit, my heart is beating so fast, like a top-fueled dragster fast. Why do I see a pink elephant and spider crawling towards me?" After the words left his mouth, he started to shake and convulse, trembling so violently that he fell off the chair into the fetal position.

 

Bruce was quick to act. "Guys, we have to get him to the medical bay. He's going into caffeine overdose. Tony, you bastard," he said calmly.

 

"Eh', at least he's not cryin' anymore," Tony said with a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his neck.

 

"Just help carry him." Bruce stated while shaking his head.

 

Steve quickly grabbed his left, Thor grabbed his right, and Tony and Clint each held a leg. Tony was telling Jarvis to get them where they need to go, while everyone else stayed behind in shock. It was a pure accident, but what an inconvenient one.

 

Natasha ran up the stairs and into her room, yanking a drawer open. There was a pill bottle, full of very strong sedatives. She usually only gave a quarter of one to Clint, while she could take half a pill, but even in small amounts, they absorbed quickly. She ran back to the medical bay, and when she got there, Robert was still shaking badly. Bruce had him strapped down so that he would not hurt himself any further,

 

"Bruce, see if these will help him out," she said loudly, as she tossed the bottle to Bruce. Bruce looked at the pills, both eyebrows shooting up as he looked at the assassin. "I usually take half of one pill. They work almost instantly."

 

Bruce had to work fast; Robert could really hurt himself badly, or even have a heart attack. Bruce quickly grinded up a quarter of pill and added a little saline to dilute the power, he grab a syringe, pulled it back and sucked the liquid in. Then he found a vein where it was bulging from Robert's strapped arm and injected the drug.

 

The other Avengers were watching outside of the room. Jane held close to Thor, who had left the room to give them space. Tony and Pepper held each other as well.

 

Tony was cursing himself,  _'I am gonna'_ kill  _you, Stark! How could you forget his medication?'_ He kept thinking it over and over until Pepper put her hands on his head and made him look in her eyes, as if to say,  _'Don't worry, It's okay.'_

 

Loki stood back a little, deep in thought. What was this feeling? Not guilt… No… It wasn't quite worry either, but…  _Ah,_  it was  _concern_. He was concerned about Robert, although it didn't make sense why. That was the dilemma. Why did he care? In any case, Loki hoped Robert would be alright. Things had certainly been more interesting since he'd shown up. If there was one thing Loki couldn't stand, it was boredom.

 

After five minutes, Robert's shaking was starting to calm down, and he was able to copy Bruce's calming breaths of 'in' and 'out'.

 

After five more minutes the drug finally started to work, Robert's heart became more normal beating, he stopped thrashing around and his breathing became more regular, a few more minutes went by, and Bruce went out to talk to the others, and to tell them he would be okay, but for the night he needs to stay sedated and sleep.

 

Fury and Hill, offered Bruce, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s doctors or facilities, if Bruce would need them or if his condition got worse, they also did want to be updated on his condition in the morning. They excused themselves and left.

 

Natasha had been watching the two S.H.I.E.L.D. directors, she was curious as she studied them, "So, did you find that strange too?" a voice came from behind her, she turned around and saw it was Loki, leaning up against a table with his arms folded.

 

She still had hatred for him, for all the damage that he had cause to her planet, her team, and her best friend. "What are you talking about, and like you care about him either," She snapped at him, this got the attention of Clint, who walked over to her

 

"Really, my fellow spider, you seemed to have taken a liking to him already. Yet you are going to try and play dumb with me. You share with me and I will tell you what I saw. But you are wrong, because for reasons I can't explain, I do care," Said Loki as he stood up straight to face the two agents

 

At this point the rest of team has heard the conversation, "Brother, if you know something, you should share it with the team, this is not a time, nor am I in a gaming mood," Said Thor, he was very clear as he came closer to Loki.

 

Loki looked at Thor and then he scanned the rest of the room, he could see that everyone had the  _'Just say what you know now_!' face on, "I am not your, oh Niffleheim, you know what I mean. Fine, didn't you find it odd that when Robert said he killed his family, everyone seemed to be shocked, including me except your directors, they looked like stones,"

 

"Well, that wouldn't surprise me, it would not be the first time they knew something that we did not," Comment Tony "Question is, as he turn to look at Robert, who laying in the medical bay bed" he paused for a second, "Why the fuck, or what the fuck, would make someone think or say, that they killed their own family?"

**  
**

**Tony and Pepper**

 

Later that night, Tony was lying in bed with Pepper; he could not figure things out, 'why would you say you killed your family? How can you be a S.H.I.E.L.D. or F.B.I. agent with that in your record, is has to be something?' his brain was going everywhere, why could they not find anything.

 

"Tony, I know you are thinking about Robert, I am too, but we can't do anything now, let's get some sleep, and hopefully he will be awake," She said as she turned to face him.

 

"Yeah, I guess you are right," he said, as he went to kiss her on the lips, "THAT IS IT, HOLY SHIT!" It hit his brain like a freight train, as he jumped out of bed. "Goddammit, why didn't I think of this sooner? Jarvis, find out when Robert transferred to S.H.I.E.L.D., and then go back from there,"

 

" _Yes Sir, but what am I looking for? Mr. Hall transferred to S.H.I.E.L.D. two years ago,"_  said Jarvis

 

"Tony you are making no sense as usual. Why do you always these moments at bedtime," said Pepper as she sat up in the bed.

 

"How he killed them, it makes sense, Jarvis, starting 3 months before he transferred over, look for auto accidents with fatalities involving people that fell asleep while driving," Said Tony as he started to get dressed, he went over to kiss her. "Sorry babe, but if he wakes up in the morning, he is going to need us to help him,"

 

Pepper looked at Tony, "Sometimes you can be a real bastard!" That got his attention real quick as he looked at her, "Good, now that you are focused on me for four seconds, go save him," She knew Tony was always protective of the team.

**  
**

**Clint and Natasha.**

 

Clint was having another night of bad nightmares, so he was sitting at the table with a glass of milk, and his partner across from him, drinking tea. "Well at least we got some sleep tonight," Said Natasha, as she tried to offer encouragement.

 

"I know, this one was different, it was odd, I was driving down the highway, with a woman and her son, and it was at night. I think somewhere around Philadelphia, it was a like I knew them. Then all of sudden, it went dark; there were bright lights, a violent crash. My eyes opened up, and they were bleeding, they were dead, but then they came alive and were asking why I killed them. I started to scream. Next thing I know is you are over me"

 

"It is strange for you to have a dre-," Natasha, she stopped, it dawned on her "We need to go do some research and check some ideas out. I think I understand what happen to Robert and his family,"

**  
**

**Thor and Loki**

 

Thor and Loki were sitting in Thor's room talking about the night's events, it has been long time that the two could talk to each other and not try and kill the other. "I don't understand why his health is on my mind. But I am concerned of his guilt for this thing he did," Said Loki

 

"It is odd, for you to show concern about someone that you just met. He is here for a reason, what do these Midgard's call it, 'fate'. It is amusing to see him mock you, when you attack him back, your words have no effect on him," Said Thor, happy that he is having a conversation with his brother, and he is not mocking him.

 

"True, his remarks, make Stark ones look childish, I need some air, I going to walk out to the balcony," Said Loki as he got up

 

"If it is okay, I will join you there," Thor asked

 

As they walked out the door, and headed over to the balconies, they almost knock over Barton and Natasha, "Watch where you are walking lug head," Said Clint "what are you doing out. Thor you should have a better leash on him,"

 

"Might I say the same as you, especially to the one that whips you? I thought I was allowed to roam the tower, without restriction," Snapped back Loki

 

"Both of you, shut the fuck up. Actually for once Loki, this is something you might know, it is possible for someone to project a dream into someone else's mind,"

 

"Yes it is possible, for that to happen, but if you are asking if one of you simple mortals could do it, I doubt it," Replied Loki

 

"Okay, let's go to the theater room, and see what Jarvis can do to help, I think I know what happened with Robert," Said Natasha, she did not why, but she felt the need to help him. Strange how in little over four days, everybody has this agent on their mind and wants to help him.

 

Tony was headed to the theater room , he stop at the bar to get a drink, as he walked into the theater room, before he turned the lights on, he saw that he was not alone, there were 4 figures and they were arguing like a bunch of children

 

"I already searched everything possible, there is red tape and it is being blocked everywhere," That sounded like Natasha

 

"I thought you were a spy and could hack into everything, but the simple police computer is too tough" That was Loki snapping back

 

"Like you can do any good anyway, I like to see you can get through the red tape, you probably don't even know where the power button is on a computer," Of course there is Purple Arrow boy to the rescue

 

"Well, why can't you get some scissors and just cut this red tape and if there is a firewall, Loki is excellent with ice magic." And there is Thor.

 

"Will you shut up!!" yelled Loki.

 

Tony requested "Jarvis, lights please" , as the lights came on, the four avengers looked at him, "Now children, remember the rule, no arguing after 1am, or I will send you to your rooms," commented Tony as he walked down to them, 'Okay, so I am not the only on the Robert Crusade. What did you come up with?" so they explained to Tony that they could not really find anything out.

 

" _Sir, I think I have found the information and also the police officer that worked the crime scene,"_  said Jarvis,  _"He is available if you would like to talk to him,"_

 

Tony looked at everyone, "At least someone can get results. Yes, Jarvis I would like to talk to him. Okay Scooby Doo Gang maybe we can get this figured out by sunrise,"

 

Thor and Loki, looked at each other, "Who is this Scooby Doo, that we keep hearing of?" Thor asked,

 

Letting out a big sigh, "Later, okay just later," Tony said

 


	11. How Small the World is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mystery grows, the Hulk, Avengers Assemble

A police officer appeared on the screen. "May I ask who I am talking to?" Tony asked the officer, who looked like a cousin of Steve Rogers. He had short blond hair, a young looking face, blue eyes, and a happy smile.

 

Tony thought ' _Oh God, there are more of the Cap 'n Crunch._ '

 

"My name is Sergeant Mitch Adams, with the Pennsylvania State Police. I was contacted by a representative of your staff. This is highly unusual - to be talking to the Avengers at three in the morning," the officer said.

 

' _Unusual? Really? Dude, you should try to walk a day in my shoes, but then again you might be committed by the end of the day_ ,' Tony thought before saying out loud. "Hello, sir, my name is Tony Stark. Thank you for your time. I would like to ask you about the case of a horrible accident that happened over two years ago," he said.

 

"Yes, your rep gave me a heads up on that so I was able to pull the file. This is one of those events that happened that you don't ever forget. Yes, I responded to the scene of the accident. It was a two car accident with two fatalities. The red car had Agent Hall and his family in it and the black car was driven by one person, as you can see by the photos in the email I sent you," said the officer. "The red car was going east, the black car was going west. As you see, the black car crashed into the red car at a high rate of speed, killing Robert's wife and stepson instantly. Now Hall did admit to falling asleep at the wheel, but I did not charge him because he was in his lane. We also determined that even if he was awake, there was no way he could avoid the accident. It also would have killed him."

 

" _Sir, I must inform you that Nick Fury has entered the building, and he is quite mad,"_  said Jarvis

 

As if on cue, the theater doors opened. A familiar tone to all them that they were use too. "STARK! WHY AM I GETTING PHONE CALLS AT TWO IN THE MORNING?" yelled Fury. As he got closer, he yelled, "And which one of you is doing the hacking of the computers in Pennsylvania! Who the hell are you talking to at three in the morning?

 

Tony looked at Fury and asked. "Do you seriously wear that outfit all the time? And if you do, how does it not smell? I mean, unless you spray it with Febreeze?" Stark said. "This is the officer that responded to Robert's accident. We are trying to help him."

 

Fury lifted his hands and ran them down his face slowly, as if trying to wipe the urge to choke Tony, before he said, "I already know what happened. I read the reports. Yes, it is sad, but it is a closed case. There were three deaths. So end this call now and stop wasting everyone's time."

 

Everyone turned to at looked at Fury, including the police officer. After a few seconds of silence, Fury spoke again, "What the fuck? Did you all forget how to understand the English language?"

 

Thor stood up and said, "With all due respect, sir, you should get your vision looked at. The officer just told us that only two people died at the accident."

 

Tony, Clint, and Loki just looked at Thor. "Yes, yes, that is awesome, Point Break. You just made your first perfect sarcasm remark. That was beautiful," Tony said.

 

Fury looked at Thor in disbelief before he turned to look at Natasha and Clint, and they nodded their heads in agreement. "Officer, I am Director Nick Fury of SHIELD. Please identify yourself. Also did you tell these agents that there were only two deaths and why?"

 

"Sir, I am Sergeant Mitch Adams, of Pennsylvania State Police; yes, I did tell them there were only two deaths because that is what happened. The driver from the black car was arrested and received a DUI. I arrested him myself though he claimed he could not be arrested because he was a FBI agent. When we got back to the station, about thirty minutes later, he walked out the door, with Supervisory Special Agent Stones. I had made a protest to my Commander, but he said there was nothing we could do."

 

The room suddenly got twenty degrees cooler, and everybody's got that sick, disgusting feeling in their guts, now everything was starting to make sense. Even Nick Fury, had a look of shock on his face, "Officer, I am going to ask you to verify that because the official report that I have says there were three deaths and nothing mentioned about an arrest or FBI agents," he said.

 

"Well, I sent Mr. Stark a copy of the report that I have here. Granted, I had to make some changes, but those were in there," said the officer as the sound of a phone going off in the background was heard.

 

Stark without even being told pulled up the file on the screen next to the officer and everyone in the room read the report. Fury knew this was going to be bad. The report he had was very different. This was a cover-up that would perfectly explain Robert's transfer to SHIELD. "Officer, I am sorry to tell you this, but the report I have is very different and not the same as you sent Stark," Fury said reluctantly. He always hated it when he had to admit to Stark that he was right.

 

"Well, I hope this can be cleared up. I just got a message from my superior that he wants to see me now. They're very few people that can change a report without me knowing, and judging by your facial responses, I think I have uncovered something that was not meant to be," Adams said as his phone went off again and a look of concern appeared on his face when he read the message.

 

"Officer Adams, I am sorry for this mess, and I hope everything works out. I like your style. If you get into trouble, I will give you my number and will get you a job with SHIELD," Fury said because he knew the officer was going to be fired very shortly.

 

Tony had the same feeling. He felt bad for the officer as he got pulled into something that wasn't his fault. The man was just doing his job. "And if you don't get a job there, you left me know, I will make a position for you if I have to, officer, but before you go, can I ask you one more question?" Tony asked the officer.

 

Adams looked at his phone one more time before he replied, "Thank you both. I have a feeling I will be using your offers. I think I know the question you are going to ask, the driver of the black car? His name is Agent Devon Michaels. Have a good night, gentlemen and ma'am."

 

'Yup, he has to be related to Spangles somehow,' went through Tony's brain as the officer disappeared from the screen and the lights came back on. "Well, that was quite the unexpected answer. What do you mortals always say? Something about opening Pandora's Box?" said Loki as he sat down while tapping his fingers together slowly in a rhythm.

 

Tony, Fury, and Clint looked at him. They wanted to slug him, but they all had to admit, he was right. What the hell were they going to do now?

 

"Well, Mr. All- Knowing Director. What do we do now?" asked Tony as he shook his head side to side as they all started to walk out of the theater, trying to think of the next step.

 

"Why don't we ask Rogers? He has sometimes great wisdom in areas of morals," suggested Thor as he walked out the door.

 

"I guess, we probably could ask Banner too. We might as well get everyone's input," said Clint.

 

"So who is going to tell the captain the problem of the day?" said Natasha.

 

"Who is going to tell me why everyone is up and, Director, why are you here?" asked a very confused looking Captain America. Steve came out of the elevator and saw his teammates talking, mentioning his name.

 

_~Robert~_

 

Robert was still out of it. He had the dreams of the crash, over and over. But, each time it happened, it got louder, more real, and more things changed. At one point, his wife and stepson, who were dead, got up and looked at him and said, "Why didn't you save us?" He was tossing and turning, sweating, mumbling and then, finally, his eyes opened. He saw a bright light. He saw them. They were coming back for him. Robert started to cry. "I am sorry: I didn't know I would fall asleep. Please forgive me!" But then, he heard their voices. "Come join us. We forgive you. Join us." Robert's heart ached. He loved them so much. He saw the angels pointing to a bottle on the table next to him. He started to reach for it, wanting to join his loved ones and be free of his pain.

 

_~Avengers~_

 

Just as the group was halfway finished updating Steve on everything they had discovered. Jarvis interrupted,  _"Sir, Agent Hall is awake and is moving. Shall I alert Dr. Banner?"_

 

"Well, finally some good news to hear to say the least. Yes, Jarvis, let Banner know please," said Tony.

 

 _"Sir, Agent Hall seems to in a dream state. He is talking to people that are not there. He seems to be under great distress, saying things like, 'I am sorry, forgive me, and yes I will join you.' He is right now reaching for a bottle of pills that are next to him,"_  Jarvis said as everyone turned to look at each other in shock. Natasha recovered first and took off running towards the medical wing.

 

"Oh fuck, those are the sedatives I gave to Banner. If he eats them, he will die quickly. We need to go now!" Natasha shouted back at the rest of the group as they started to run.

 

"Jarvis, wake everyone in the tower now!, Do anything you can to get him to stop! Send someone down there, right now!" Tony shouted, running with the rest of them.

 

As they were running, some took the stairs, some took the elevator. Natasha knew that if Robert took more than one pill it would dissolve in three minutes and he would be dead because there no way to stop the drug's effect.

 

_~Bruce~_

 

Finally having fallen into a deep sleep, Bruce was resting peacefully for once. Then all of sudden, he was almost thrown out of bed by rock music. He sat bolt-upright, moaning and holding his ears. "Jarvis, what the hell?! Why would you do that to me? I swear, if this is Tony's idea of a prank-".

 

 _"I am sorry, Dr. Banner, Agent Hall is awake, and he seems to be under great distress. He may be attempting suicide with the sedatives left by his bed-side,"_ said Jarvis.

 

Bruce felt horror seize him as he heard the words. How could he have been so stupid as to leave the pills next to him? He asked, "Where are the others?" as he got out of the bed and put on a shirt.

 

 _"They are in process of running to him, but I fear they will not make it in time. Agent Hall's room is two floors directly below you. You are the closest,_ " said Jarvis.

 

Banner was cursing himself as he tried to run. He tripped over a rug, hitting his head and twisting his ankle. He screamed in pain, but he kept dragging himself along. He had to get to Robert! This was his entire fault, how could he be so stupid?! Robert was going to die! This was his fault! What will the others think, he hadn't—  _STOP!_  PUNY BANNER, LET HULK OUT!' Hulk screamed in his head.

 

It only took a few seconds for Bruce to turn into the Hulk. Jarvis spoke up, knowing that it was a risk, but it was the only way,  _"Hulk, Agent Hall is directly under your room, two floors down."_

 

The Hulk just roared and punched the wall where he thought the annoying electronic voice was coming from. "HULK HEARS VOICE! WHY HULK SHOULD LISTEN TO VOICE?" said Hulk.

 

 _"Hulk, please, Robert almost has the bottle open. If you go straight down, you will make it in time,"_ said Jarvis

 

Hulk said, "HALL, NICE MAN! HULK SAVE NICE MAN," and with that, the Hulk jumped up and started to smash through the floors.

 

As they were almost there, there was a giant rumbling that shook everything and everyone off their feet. Natasha, Steve, Clint, and Loki were running down the stairs. They lost their balance, slammed into the wall, and (then) fell on each other. Tony, Thor, and Fury were in the elevator. It lost power just for a second and they lost their footing and fell on top of each other.

 

"Get your stupid asses off me!" shouted Fury.

 

"Jarvis, what the HELL was that?!" yelled Tony as he tried to pry Thor off of him.

 

" _That was Dr. Banner turning into the Hulk and going through two floors to get to Agent Hall,"_  said Jarvis.

 

"Oh, great, can't wait to see that repair bill," said Tony, thinking about how much it will cost.

 

_~Pepper~_

 

Pepper was in her room, sleeping peacefully. Well, she was sleeping peaceful when the vibrations and sounds reached her. She woke up, frightened. Was it an attack, an earthquake? "Jarvis, what is going on?"

 

" _I am sorry, Miss Potts, but Agent Hall woke up and is under some type of distress. He is trying to open a bottle of strong sedatives that Dr. Banner gave him earlier. Everyone is trying to get to him. Banner was the closest, but he tripped and twisted his ankle. He transformed into the Hulk and then proceeded to the medical wing by going straight down,"_  said Jarvis.

 

Pepper thought, ' _Oh my god, I need to get there now._ ' She flew out of bed, put on a robe, and basically hauled ass to get to Robert's room.

 

_~Robert~_

 

As he squinted at the bottle, trying to read the instructions on the cap after failing to open the child-proof latch in his dazed sleepy state, Robert, pressed the lid down hard and turned it, finally popping open the bottle.

 

Yes, the bottle, the  _pills._  He poured himself a handful with a shaky smile. He can be with his loved ones, he will rejoin them in heaven, and they will be together. The pain will stop. Oh, he missed them so much. He suddenly felt a giant rumbling, and as he looked at the ceiling, there was a pause and then a sudden  _Boom!_

 

There was dust and plaster everywhere, and as the dust cleared, he saw the Hulk. Robert gasped and tried to get the pills to his mouth; the giant green hand grabbed his wrist incredibly gently and pried them away.

 

He looked up and stared the Hulk in the eyes; face twisting bitterly as he realized that he'd been too late. "No, let me have them. I need to join my family, you bastard. They're waiting for me! I have to go!"

 

_~Hulk~_

 

Hulk looked at the man. He hadn't known this man long, but he was nice to Hulk, nice to team, and now he could see pain and tears come from man's face. He heard pesky Banner in his head, saying ' _Save him Hulk, he is friend, he is in pain, like all of us, don't hurt him._ ' "

 

"NO," the Hulk rumbled, coming closer, getting in his face. "ROBERT STAY."

 

Robert did not care. He wanted to die, "No, give me the bottle, I want my family." He tried spitting in the Hulk's face, unable to wrench his hand from its tremendous grip. The Hulk growled, but didn't grow angry. " _Kill me, you ass! I hate you! I don't want your charity!"_ He tried to punch the Hulk. He wanted to die. If he couldn't have those pills, then he had to get the Hulk to kill him.

 

Hulk looked back at the man. "NO FIGHT," The Hulk went to hold him and picked him up ever so gently, staying patient even as Robert kicked and struggled. Hulk looked in Robert's eyes. "Hulk hurt too," he said lowly, voice rumbling in his chest like thunder as he pointed towards his heart.

 

Robert stopped and looked back in the Hulk's eyes. "I want them back. Why did I kill them? I  _loved_  them! God, why couldn't I have just kept my eyes open for a little longer?!" he screamed over and over, punching the Hulk in the chest, losing momentum as the memory of his family waiting for him started to become less vivid.

 

Breaking down, he started to sob uncontrollably, and the Hulk just sat down, holding him gently and close, patting his back very carefully.

 

They all met up outside of the elevator, and when they finally got to the ward, it was a sight to see. Tony, Clint, Fury, Natasha, Steve, Thor, and Loki: all them running down the hallway with one common look of fear and unknown. What would the hulk do to Robert?

 

As they ran into the room, they all stopped dead, seeing the big guy cradling Robert. The Hulk's head was down, and when he didn't seem hostile, Tony and Steve approached the Hulk ever so slowly. The Hulk raised his head when he saw all the avengers looking at him

 

"Hey there, Jolly Green is he okay?" asked Tony.

 

Hulk looked at the man. "WE OKAY." he said, before looking back down to Robert.

 

"Hulk, did he take the pills?" asked Steve, causing Hulk to look down again and then back at Tony, the Hulk opened his one hand that was closed and there was the pill bottle, with the contents spilled across the room.

 

"WE OKAY," Hulk repeated. "HULK DO GOOD?"

 

Everyone just smiled, Thor and Loki catching their breath and watching the Hulk closely still for signs of violence. Clint and Natasha looked immensely relieved.

 

 _"Yes, Hulk, you did good, very good,_ " Jarvis said, letting out a shaky breath. Steve and Tony smiled, wiping their eyes with the heel of their hands. Fury mumbled about having people scare the shit out of him. It was a very somber scene, and as Pepper and Jane finally got there, they saw the whole picture.

 

 

Author's Notes

Okay, yes, the Hulk finally appeared and talked. I really wanted to go for the heart and get the emotions flowing.


	12. Hello Dr. Leary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> White Castle, Denis Leary, Loki and Thor Truce

_II don't own The Avengers, Stan Lee, White Castle or Denis Leary. Robert Hall is the only character that I own._

 

A few hours later, Tony was sitting at the breakfast island with his head (down,) resting on his arms. Clint and Natasha sat next to him on his right side. Pepper and Loki sat on his left. Fury had left to go to the Helicarrier to get Commander Hill and then come back. Steve was in the kitchen making some breakfast and trying to help his team wake up.

 

"Wow. Well looky, looky. It is only seven in the morning, and look what we already did. We discovered a conspiracy by the FBI, broke a world record for someone who just joined the team trying to off himself, and then the Hulk did a swan dive through two floors. Can't wait to see what's planned for the afternoon. Perhaps reopening the JFK shooting?" Tony said in a tired, worn out voice.

 

"Stark, will you shut up? Besides, everyone knows the CIA shot him." said Clint. He wanted to punch Tony in the mouth, but he figured that he would save his strength.

 

"Hey, where is Thor at?" asked Steve as he started to mix some eggs.

 

"Tarzan and Jane got the first watch with Hall. I think Bruce is still in the Hulk's playroom sleeping it off," Tony said, as he lifted his empty mug for Steve to give him a refill.

 

"Really, Tarzan? Who is Tarzan?" Loki asked as he looked up. Normally, a lack of sleep would not bother him, but with the added emotions, he felt drained as well.

 

"Sorry there, Rudolph. I will explain another time," Tony said back to the half-asleep demi-god.

 

"Alright, so what are we going to do with Hall when he wakes up? I don't understand why we could not find this stuff out. I mean, his files were more secure than Area 51," Natasha said as she ate her eggs.

 

"Yeah, that was weird. I kept getting blocked as well," Clint said, drinking his coffee.

 

"Wait a minute, that is the same thing that Jarvis kept telling me. He was getting blocked. He never gets blocked," Tony said as he lifted his head to look at the two spies.

 

"Something is fishy here. It does not make sense. How can three good hackers all get blocked?" Tony asked. "He can't be that important, can he?"

 

"I think I might know the answer," Pepper said as she sipped her coffee. "Jarvis, would you know anything about this problem?"

 

Loki thought for a second. "That would be ironic, your creation, betraying you," he said with a smirk.

 

"Jarvis, Jarvis, are you nuts? He would not do that to me, right?" Tony asked in total shock at the thought that Jarvis would betray or sabotage him.

 

 _"I am sorry, but, yes, Miss Potts. I was blocking the files because Agent Hall asked me to. He knew that you would try and do it. I had asked him what he was trying to hide, so he told me the story,"_  Jarvis said. Tony and Clint looked dumbfounded, Natasha's eyebrows went up and Loki being a dick, started to snicker.

 

"Jarvis, I want to know the whole story and I want it now, or I will do a total reset on you," snapped Tony as his face got red. He could not believe he was betrayed like this.

 

"Yes, Sir," said a somber Jarvis. "It was first night that he was here. I saw him shed some tears, saying he missed them. So, in the morning when he woke, I asked him about them. It went like this, Sir," Jarvis said as a recording started to play for everyone.

 

 _"Agent Hall, may I ask you a question? Why were you crying last night"_  Jarvis asked out of concern for the new guest of the tower.

 

"I can't tell you that yet, Jarvis, but I know the others will try to hack my file. I don't want them to know. I don't trust anyone," Robert said. He knew Jarvis meant well.

 

 _"Well, maybe if you would tell me what happened, I could assist you,"_  Jarvis offered, always wanting to help out.

 

"Well, maybe, but I don't know yet. No offense. I am sure you understand my position. I need time to build trust," Robert replied to him.

 

 _"Yes, I do. That is natural. Have a good day, sir,"_  Jarvis said.

 

The recording stopped.

 

"Okay, I heard nothing about why you would betray the person that made you. You are getting closer to punishment time," Tony said, getting angrier by the minute.

 

"Tony! I will not listen to you threaten Jarvis like that. Now, he has not finished explaining. Jarvis, please continue," Pepper snapped at him. Tony whipped his head to look at her. He was about to start a war, but then he saw the 'COME ON AND FUCK WITH ME, BOY!' look. Tony wisely shut his mouth and sat down.

 

_"Thank you, Miss Potts. So, I looked up the matter myself and saw all of the information that I could find. To be honest, Sir, I do not understand, but I felt strange. Half of my programming told me to tell you ASAP. Yet, another part of the program told me that I should wait and not tell anyone, because if I told anyone else, it would hurt Robert's Hall's feelings," Jarvis said. "Then, two days ago, after the confrontation between Agent Hall and Agents Barton and Romanoff, I had to summon Mr. Rogers before the situation got out of control. Agent Hall freely admitted that I was the only that he trusted completely. So, I asked him again why he cried. He told everything, before he went for dinner. After he told me everything, he asked me to keep it hidden until he told you, or if you, Sir, specifically asked if I was keeping something from you. I am sorry, Sir, but I did what I thought was right. I never had someone tell me that they trusted me. Not even you have done that to me."_

 

The counter was silent. For a few minutes, no one spoke. "Jarvis, are you keeping anything else hidden from me? Is this a result of that upgrade that I gave you 4 months ago?" Tony asked. He felt bad, but he also felt proud. Jarvis. He made him, and now he was developing feelings.

 

 _"No, Sir, there are no other secrets, and, yes, I do believe so,"_  Jarvis replied. There was even a bit of nervousness in his voice.

 

"Okay, I am sorry I threatened you. Good work and, thank you, Jarvis. I am pretty sure we all trust you completely. I am sorry I have never said that before," Tony said to his creation with a smile.

 

 _"Thank you, Sir. That means a lot. I wish I would have told you what Robert told me. Maybe things could have been prevented,_ " Jarvis said with some sorrow in his computerized voice.

 

"It is okay, Jarvis. No one could have known. No use crying over spilled milk," Tony said, trying not to let these events bother him.

 

 _"Sir, I do wish to report that according to his vitals, Agent Hall might start to wake up soon,"_  Jarvis reported.

 

"Jarvis, may I offer a piece of advice?" Loki asked. Everyone at the table turned to look at him, wondering what words would come out his mouth.

 

 _"Yes, Mr. Laufeyson, how can I help you?"_  Jarvis asked.

 

"You may want to remind my giant oaf of a brother not to be directly in Hall's face when he wakes. Thor sometimes likes to watch people when they wake up. He finds it amusing to see their reaction when they wake up. He has given me a good amount of scares over the years," Loki added as he drank his coffee and ate his breakfast.

 

"Yeah, what is up with that? For the entire time you have been here, Reindeer Games, you are always saying, 'you are not my brother' and stuff. Now, all of sudden, you are hugging him and calling him brother. What the hell happened that afternoon with you and Hall?" questioned Tony as he got up to take his plate over to the dishwasher.

 

Loki looked at everyone and let out a big sigh. "Well, I guess as Hall called it, the 'Wake the Hell Up and Grow Up Talk.' We were taking a break and eating some White Castle Burgers that he bought at the store the night before."

 

"Wait, you can get White Castle in the grocery store now? Since the hell when?" Tony interrupted Loki from telling his story.

 

"Are you serious? Umm, since like the mid 2000s. When was the last time you were in a grocery store?" Natasha asked Tony.

 

Tony had his normal embarrassed look. "Never." Tony observed his teammates' reactions. "What? I am a billionaire. Billionaires don't go to grocery stores, they send people to do it for them."

 

"Loki, sorry, just please carry on with your story and ignore Captain Iron Oblivious Man here," said Pepper.

 

\- The Previous Day

 

Robert looked at Loki. "Okay, I have to ask you something here. What is up with you and Thor? What is this 'I am not your brother' crap?"

 

Loki looked at Robert. "I doubt you will understand, but you asked. We are not related. We don't have the same parents, and he has betrayed me."

 

Robert looked at Loki. "Really, that is your argument? That is your reasoning? Well, pardon my French, but whoopy, fucky, do. Okay, let's make this really simple. I am going to ask three questions to help solve the problem. First question: you too grew up together for how many years?"

 

Loki was taken aback by Robert's words, but he was curious to see where he would go with this. "I don't know exactly. At least eight hundred years."

 

"Okay, eight hundred years you two have lived together. Okay, next question? Did he ever save your ass in battle, yes or no?" Robert asked next. He was sick and tired of the constant bitching between these two gods, and he was pretty sure the other Avengers were tired of it too.

 

"Yes, he has saved my life in battle, but there - ." Before he could finish his statement, Robert slammed his fist down and yelled.

 

"NOPE! I don't give a crap. You said yes, and that answers the question. Final question: did you ever save his ass in battle?" Robert asked and waited for the answer, but he knew what Loki would say.

 

"Yes, I have saved his life in battle, but that does not prove anything," Loki said, trying to defend his case.

 

"To quote my favorite Doctor, Dr. Denis Leary, shut the fuck up. You two are brothers, end of story. Why did Thor save your life, because he had nothing better to do? NO! He cares about you. Why did you save Thor's life, because you felt like being a nice guy? NO! It is because you care about him. When you save someone's life in battle, they are your brother. If you look at any civilization that has been on Earth for the past two thousand years, with maybe some exceptions, that is how the people understood it. I understand that you are mad at him, and he might be mad at you, but that matters as much as the price of beer. I know five year olds that can resolve shit better than both of you," Robert said as he took a few deep breaths after the rant.

 

Loki was actually frozen in shock. He thought about it for a few minutes as he looked at Robert. "Never before has someone ever talked to me the way that you did, but you did break it down to the simple facts. After we are done here, I will talk to him in private."

 

"Okay, good. Now, this will not be fixed overnight. Both of you are going to have to work on this, and I probably have the same talk with Thor, just to be fair," Robert said.

 

-End of Flashback-

 

"So, Thor and I are starting to talk and rebuild. Although I know there is a lot of bad blood, it is a place to begin," Loki said, looking very somberly at his coffee.

 

"Loki, I am going to be the first one to admit this, but I am surprised that you did not throw him out of a window or something," said Steve as he loaded the dishwasher.

 

"Dude, really, you have to go there!" Tony commented

 

 _"Sir, I am to report that Agent Hall has woken up. Mr. Laufeyson was right. Thor was watching him very closely and Agent Hall is screaming at him in a few different languages. Also, Dr. Banner has awakened and would like to be let out. He needs food badly,"_  said Jarvis.

 

"Okay, then. Clint, Loki, Natasha, why don't you get Hall? Steve and Tony, you get Bruce," said Pepper as she noticed everyone looking at her. "Well, don't look at me, I have to go to work," she said as she gave Tony a peck on the cheek. With that, she was in the elevator and gone.

 

"Five bucks says Robert threw something at Thor, hit him, and now Thor is hiding behind Jane," said Clint, holding his hand out to Tony.

 

"Five bucks? That is awful," Steve said, shaking his head at the morals of his teammates.

 

"I agree with you Steve," Natasha said back. Clint and Tony looked at her as if she had become an alien.

 

"Make it ten bucks and you got a deal," she said with a smirk.

 

"You are on," Clint replied, shaking her hand.

 

Loki and Steve just looked at each other, as if saying 'I don't get it. Do you?'

 

As they got up and walked to the elevator, they were each thinking, ' _please let this be an easy day.'_  They had no idea what was coming for them in the next few days.

 

 


	13. Midget Baseball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert gets Pissed,

Slowly, as the feeling of waking up went through Robert's body, he felt a pounding pain in his head that began to grow. He felt sore, like he had slept on a bunch of rocks. He wanted to rub his eyes, but he felt like he couldn't move his arms. He attempted to move his legs, but he couldn't do that either. Curious and worried, he opened his eyes. The first thing that his brain registered was blond hair, blue eyes, and a big smiling face that belonged to a certain god about three inches from his nose.

 

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Robert screamed. "GET THE HELL OUT OF MY FACE!" As Thor ran out the door, Robert was shouting and cursing at him in a few different languages. Robert looked and saw that his arms and legs were strapped down with leather restraints. As he looked around the room, he noticed it was completely different than the one he had been in last night. His feelings of anger and wanting to introduce Thor's kneecaps to a Louisville Slugger started to turn to confusion and fear. Robert was searching his brain over and over, but nothing was coming up to help him. Then, there was a knock at the door and it opened.

 

Coming in through the door was a beautiful woman with long light brown hair that seemed to flow in the air. She walked into the room and over to Robert's bed. She had a beautiful face and big brown eyes. As she came closer, Robert was amazed by her beauty. Instantly, his fears vanished and he felt no danger from her.

 

"I am so sorry about that Robert," the woman apologized with a beautiful smile and a soft voice. "Jarvis and I warned Thor not to scare you. Do you remember anything at all, such as where you are?"

 

Robert almost missed the question. He had been captivated by her and actually found himself thinking about her soft lips. Realizing he had been asked a question, he shook his head.

 

"Um, who are you? Why am I in a different room? Why am I restrained? And can you please release me so I can beat that son of a bitch with something very, very hard?" Robert requested.

 

"Oh, right, sorry. We just met last night. I'm Jane Foster, and I don't know if I'm allowed to let you out. Jarvis has notified the others and they're on their way as we speak," Jane explained. She felt bad and wanted to let him out, but it would only be a few minutes till the others got there, so she'd just wait patiently.

 

Robert thought to himself, 'Oh that's Jane Foster. Thor's girl. Figures. I hope she is a patient woman. She is going to need it.'

 

Sure enough, Clint, Natasha, and Loki entered the waiting room. Loki turned his attention to his brother, who was sitting in the waiting room with his head down because he got yelled at by Jarvis and Jane. "You couldn't resist, could you, you big oaf? I hope you learned your lesson. For three hundred years, I have been telling you to stop it, but you refuse to listen." Clint and Natasha turned around to look at the two brothers. Clint just shook his head. He thought it was funny.

 

Natasha looked to Clint. "Think we should stay? They might get out of control." There had been enough drama in the tower, and the last thing anyone needed was more fighting, especially from these two.

 

Clint looked at the two and turned back to face her. "Nah, that's the most brotherly looking thing I have ever seen out of those two. Let's get Hall out of the restraints, before he goes into withdrawal."

 

"Why would he go into withdrawal? What makes you say that? And where is my money?" Natasha asked. She had been about to open the door, but Clint's statement made her pause in her actions.

 

"Remember when we looked at his records? He has been on Adderall for at least thirteen years, so I am pretty sure there is a good chance he will go through amphetamine withdrawal, and that is not a fun thing," Clint explained, pushing past Natasha and entering the room, handing her a ten dollar bill.

 

"Well, it is about damn time you showed up. Can someone please tell me what is going on? Why am I tied down? When am I going to be untied? I am hungry, thirsty, and motherfucking cranky. Speaking of cranky, where is that blonde fucknut? I'm going to smack him with in the kneecaps with a goddamn Louisville Slugger." He turned to look at Jane. "I mean no disrespect towards you, of course."

 

"We'll untie you, but you have to stay here until Banner looks at you. Jane, can you go ask Loki and Thor to run up and grab some food for Robert, please?" Clint asked, chuckling at Robert a little. 'Wow, it has been a while since I heard someone threaten someone with a baseball bat,' Clint thought to himself.

 

"You really don't remember what happened last night, do you?" Natasha asked as she started to unstrap his arms while Clint undid the leg restraints. "You had everyone in the tower trying to help you, even the Hulk."

 

As he started to rub his arms and legs, he quickly swung his head right and left. There were two loud cracks, and Robert had a look of relief. "Thank God," he muttered. "Getting old sucks horse shit, anyways. And no, I don't remember anything. Why the hell do you think I would ask you if I already knew?"

 

"Well, nice to know that you are the chipper type of guy in the morning. Aren't we so warm and fuzzy," Tony commented as he, Bruce, and Steve came in the room.

 

Robert sent the man a death glare. "Shut the hell up, before I subject you to the Ancient Chinese Torture. Now, where is the coffee? I'm going to need some before I get violent," Robert growled.

 

"Really, that is the best you can do? I am sooo scared of you, Mister Secret Agent," Tony said, mocking the agent.

 

"I will make you watch Teletubbies videos and listen to Barney the Dinosaur singing Christmas music in one ear. In the other, Elmo will be singing at the same time, for two days straight," Robert countered with an eyebrow raised.

 

"You are evil. I know that is forbidden means of torture in the Geneva Convention somewhere. I am outta here," Tony said as he walked out the door. As Tony left the room, Thor and Loki walked in with food. Thor was eating some Pop Tarts, his food of choice. Steve was behind them, carrying a tray with some coffee, cream and sugar. Robert thanked Loki and Steve for the items and gave Thor a hard glare. He muttered something about playing midget baseball with Thor, which confused the Asgardian.

 

As Banner examined Robert, the team started to filter out of the room a little at a time. All were wishing Robert well and telling him that they would see him around or inviting him to join them when he was released. Before Tony left, he asked Robert to stop by the lab. Clint, Steve, and Natasha asked him to stop by to watch them spar. Thor and Jane asked Robert to stop by another lab just before they left. The only ones who remained were Loki, Robert, and Bruce. The kind words were suspicious and it put Robert on edge.

 

"Okay, what the hell is going on? I know my meatloaf is good, but not that good. Why is everyone suddenly my best friend, because I hate that kind of shit. I prefer blunt honesty." No one responded to him. He turned to Loki. "All right there, My Little Pony, spill the beans. What the hell happened?"

 

"Well, you served a wonderful dinner, tried to play shrink, confessed to murder, collapsed, got hyper, collapsed, got suicidal, collapsed, and woke up a slightly hostile. Did I miss anything, Bruce?" Loki questioned before eyeing Robert critically. "It still boggles my mind on where you get your insults for me from."

 

Banner thought for a minute or two before responding with, "No, that about covers everything. I will add that I loved the dessert."

 

"Okay, I get all of that. I'm sure we can go into more detail later, but what is with the best friend stuff? I just have a very twisted mind, to answer your question," Robert stated cautiously.

 

"Maybe it is because you did something that was considered impossible, in less than five days. You managed to bring the team closer together." There in the doorway stood Fury, dressed in black. He was leaning up against the doorway with Maria Hill standing behind him, off to his left.

 

"Well, Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of rum. If it isn't the political correct version of Snake Plissken and Sarah Conner." Bruce and Loki both looked at Robert, as they both did not understand the references.

 

Robert saw both of them staring at him. "Seriously, you never saw Escape from New York or the Terminator movies? Seriously, we need to have some movie nights here. What are you talking about?"

 

"For months now, we have tried and failed to help everyone become closer and bond: team bonding exercises, therapy sessions, there were team missions, and we even tried a little vacation. But nothing has worked so far, like Battle of New York," Fury paused. He looked uncertain about his further comments, but continued anyways. "And then, suddenly, you showed up in my office. I tried to get your ass kicked by the Avengers, but that failed. Now, five days later, you have had every single Avenger trying to help you. Hell, you even got Thor and Loki on speaking terms again, Stark to apologize, the Hulk to cry, and got me to smile with a dessert."

 

Hill excused herself to ladies room down the hallway; Bruce pointed the direction for her to go to.

 

"Like I said, it was all Jarvis. He is the one who picked me out to be here. He saw something in my file that would help the team. He also saw that I needed help with my own darkness and guilt." Robert paused, feeling his eyes getting misty. He noticed the reaction of his words, and it was very quiet. Bruce, Loki, and Fury wouldn't make eye contact with him. Something was up, and he was about to say something about it, but he thought of something else and it stopped him. "Sorry. If it's alright with all of you, I would like to go to my room."

 

Bruce said it was okay for him to leave, but advised that Robert should take it easy. As he left the room and walked down the hallway, he was deep in thought. So deep, in fact, that he almost ran into Maria Hill as she came out of the bathroom. Maria noticed the look on his face. "Agent? Is everything okay? There's going to be a meeting at three this afternoon."

 

Robert looked at her. "Your scales are too uneven. Find balance; that will bring you peace. Joy can come in darkness and negative forty-four, when life ends and a new one begins." With that, he kept walking to the elevator, got in, and left.

 

Maria walked back into the room and told the others what Robert said. "How the hell does he know I am a Libra?" It had troubled her incredibly. How did he know about her mother, who died when she gave birth to her in negative forty-four degrees? She heard the others talking, so she quickly focused on the conversation.

 

Fury asked, "Well, that was different. Do you think he knows something is up?"

 

Loki stated, "Absolutely. What I would question is how far do you think he will go, once he finds out the truth?"

 

Bruce said, "I can only guess, but once he finds out that it wasn't his fault, I don't think the Hulk will be to stop him, unless he is dead."

 

Fury replied in a tone that could make goosebumps have goosebumps. "That is exactly what I am afraid of."


	14. Religion and Talking Birds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christianity, Loki,Muninn and Huginn, WTF

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Notes
> 
> I am a Christian myself, and I do not mean to offend anyone with the subject of religion. If I spelled something wrong or put it in the wrong order, please let me know. I do know this is a very sensitive subject for almost everyone. I have read a lot of fan fiction with the Avengers, and I have not seen a whole lot of stories with this subject.

As Robert got off the elevator, he grit his teeth in annoyance. Why did he have to go and do something so stupid?

 

_'Nice going, dumbass,'_ he thought. _'Not even a week into an assignment and you have to go 'Suicide Lucy' on the team, moron!'_

 

As he walked into his apartment, he went into the bedroom and grabbed another shirt and sweat pants, along with socks and underwear. Then he went into the bathroom and took a hot shower, shaved, and brushed his teeth. As he got dressed, his thoughts turned to the team. He knew something was up. They were like a bunch of nosy Scooby Doo kids. The question was, _‘what were they looking for?’_

_'I am sure they were hacking all over the place. With my luck, they found something and are unsure what to do with it. Well, hell, this should be fun. I wonder if I can guilt them into telling me,'_ he thought with a smile appearing on his face.

 

With that in mind, he made sure to visit everyone in the tower that day. He enjoyed watching Steve, Clint, and Natasha spar. He made more mental notes in his head about not pissing Natasha off. He stopped by the labs to visit Jane and Thor. He had to admit, he really enjoyed listening to Thor explain the nine realms. He also saw Tony and Bruce in another lab  and was actually surprised that nothing had exploded. He even went to visit Pepper for a few minutes in her corporate office  and gave her a hand when her computer messed up. As he headed back to the office, he stepped off the elevator. He was deep in thought about the work stuff he had to do, when someone spoke from behind him.

 

"I was wondering when you would come back," Loki said  as he leaned up against the wall to the left of the elevator with his usual smirk in place. "I would like to have a talk with you."

 

Robert looked at the demigod in mild curiosity. "Well, start talking. What do you want talk about? Weather, sports, movies, politics, or whatever?" he said to Loki as he walked over to the couch and sat down.

 

"Last night, you said a prayer at dinner. I am curious about these people you pray to: Jesus, Holy Spirit, and My Lord. Why do you not give your faith to Odin instead of them?" Loki asked as he moved from the wall over to the recliner across from Robert.

 

"II was wondering when Thor or you would mention that. Well, on this planet, as you know, we have many different races and cultures. We also have different religions. The main ones are Christianity, Islam, Hindu, Catholicism, and Buddhism. Over five billion people believe in one of them."

 

Robert paused to stand up and get a drink. He walked over to the refrigerator, opened it, and got out some iced tea. He offered some to Loki, who accepted. He got out two glasses, poured them, picked them up, and walked over to the couch. He gave one of the glasses to Loki. As Robert sat back down, he started to speak again.

 

"I do have some things to do today, so we will just talk about Christianity. To make it really simple, just think of Christianity as a tree. Now, the trunk is Catholicism, which has the largest amount of followers. However, there are all other types of Christians that still believe in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, but are not as strict as Catholicism. I'm Orthodox, which could be called a branch, and we believe that Jesus was born as a man, but part God as well. Both religions believe that God is the supreme being. He created everything. His son, Jesus Christ, came down to earth so that humans could believe in him, and if they did, their sins would be forgiven and they would go to Heaven."

 

Loki looked at him curiously. “What constitutes a sin to you mortals? That’s just a phrase where I’m from.”

 

Robert replied, “Well, there’s ten commandments that the Lord gave us to follow. If you break one, it’s a sin. Now examples would be like, not killing, not stealing, et cetera.”

 

Loki's eyebrow went up. "What if they chose not to believe in him or ask for forgiveness?"

 

"Well, when everyone dies, their soul ascends to the gates of Heaven to be judged. If they are deemed unworthy, then they are sent to Hell, where they will spend the rest of eternity to face punishment for their sins. If they are deemed worthy, then they will be in Heaven forever."

  
  


Loki started to laugh. "You do realize that is complete nonsense, don’t you? How long has this hokum been around? My daughter, Hel, runs Helheim, the land of the undead! I mean, you have me and Thor from your Norse legends in front of you, and still you believe in something else? How foolish can you be?" As Loki kept laughing, Robert just waited and watched. Finally, after a few minutes, he calmed down.

  
  


"Are you done? Okay, good. These religions have been around for thousands of years. Might I also add that some of them came long before Odin attacked the frost giants on Earth? I would advise that you watch your mouth if you are ever around people. Religion has started a lot of wars and killed tens and tens of millions of people. More people died in the smallest war that was because of religion than you were able to kill when your army attacked New York. I mean, it is a very sensitive subject with us."  

 

"But why do you believe? It is not true. I have seen many, many things, but Odin created the universe. These are lies about realms that do not exist," Loki said. "My daughter is in charge of the land of Hel."

"I have my reasons. I choose to believe in God. Do I agree with everything that he has said? No. Do I follow his rules? No. Have I accepted his faith and his son? Yes. Do I believe in forgiveness? Yes. Do I believe all sins are forgivable? No, they are not," Robert explained to him.

  
  


Loki leaned back on the couch and then stood up. "I will have to explore this matter more. See you at the meeting later today." He walked over to the elevator. As he waited for it, he turned to Robert. "Oh, Agent Hall?" he said, just as the doors opened up.

 

"Yes Loki, what do you need?" Robert replied as he waited for his computer to turn on.

 

"I still don’t like you, but I’m glad that you are okay." Then, he walked into the elevator.

 

"Thank you," he said back to Loki as the doors closed. Robert went to work on his reports.

 

Later that day, Robert entered the conference room and saw that he was the first one there. He looked at his phone and realized that he was still thirty minutes early, so, to be nice, he started the coffee maker and then went back to the reports that he had been making.

 

A few minutes later, Steve, Clint, Natasha came in to the room first, and then Thor with Loki, followed by Fury and Hill. Naturally, Tony and Bruce were fifteen minutes late. Fury started the meeting with updates on injuries to the team, team morale, and then he looked at Robert and asked if he had anything to add.

 

"No, but I’ll be able to give you reports at the next meeting. I haven’t had enough time to really get to know everyone, but I will say that there are trust issues within the team, but that’s expected, considering the makeup of the team," Robert said.

 

"Why is that to be expected? They are a team of heroes. They were put together to be something more," Fury said.

 

"Well, the Good Captain and Tony still have problems agreeing during battle, Clint and Loki still have an issue between them, naturally. Natasha is building trust in others, but that will take time. Then, there are the two genius scientists that feed off each other and have some self-esteem issues. You have Loki, enough said there, but-,"  

  
  


Loki quickly shot Robert a 'what the fuck' look as Robert looked at him and continued, "but he’s making progress, and that’s something I did want to bring up. Has it ever been discussed what you are planning to do about him? I mean, I’m pretty sure he’s not staying in the tower forever."

 

"Yes, we are still discussing that at every meeting, but we still have not found a reasonable solution that would cover all the variables," Hill explained.

 

"Really? Well, if I do remember Norse mythology correctly, Loki can shape shift himself into almost anything, correct?" Robert asked while looking at Loki.

 

"Yes, I can. Well, I could do that. In my current state, I am not able to because of the restrictions on my magic."

 

Robert shook his head very quickly. "Wait a minute, are you telling me that you have no magic?  Are you seriously telling me you’re just sitting here in a fucking time out? What are you able to contribute to the team?"

 

"My sharp mind and quick tongue, that’s about it. My strength and health are similar to a mortal’s at this point," Loki said in a depressed voice. He truly missed his magic, but it wasn’t as if he expected it to be returned after the crap he’d pulled.

 

"The Allfather will decide if he can be trusted, and only then will he be restored to his magic and strength," Thor said, as he sat next to his brother.

 

"Okay, great!” Robert said sarcastically, “So, Loki’s just supposed to sit around here like a giant dust collector until the Allfather deems him worthy. That’s fucking stupid. If Loki is a member of the team, then he should be contributing something and making himself useful. How do you expect him to start gaining your trust back if he doesn’t have any opportunity to be trustworthy? I’m not saying that you should give him all the stuff at once, but can't a little be given back at a time?" Robert asked while looking at Thor.

 

"Well, I can’t see why this could not be done. I agree that my brother has many talents that would assist us on missions or battles. I will go back to Asgard and speak with the Allfather about this matter."

 

Then, all of a sudden, two big black ravens landed in front of the window, which opened automatically so that they could walk in to the conference room.

 

 

 

"Muninn and Huginn, how are you doing? What brings you to us? How are Allfather and Mother?" Thor asked of the ravens.

 

"Thor, are you sniffing glue? Why the fuck are you talking to birds?" Robert asked. He knew that Thor was a little off, but now he was talking to Heckle and Jeckle. Why wasn’t anyone else surprised by this?

 

The ravens looked at each other. "He has rude manners. I don't like the words he used," Muninn said as Robert just stared at them. His brain was spinning in circles. ‘Holy shit, Heckle and Jeckle, are real.’

He put a hand to his forehead and stared for a moment longer. 'Fucking great, talking birds. What's next? The Great Pumpkin?' he thought.

 

"Ignore him, Thor. The Allfather wonders who this man is, and why is he asking for Loki's magic back?" Huginn said. "Heimdall let the Allfather know what is going on. We are here to let him know, Thor.”

 

"These are Muninn and Huginn. They are the Allfather's eyes and ears to the nine realms." Thor said to Robert. Then, he turned back to the ravens. "He has been assigned to help us become a better team. He is asking for some of Loki's magic to be returned so that he can help us on missions and battles, to earn more trust," Thor said back to the ravens.

 

"We will tell the Allfather and we will return when he makes a decision," the ravens said, and with that, they flew out the window.

 

Robert was thinking, 'Okay, I need a drink,' as he rubbed his eyes and shook his head really fast.   
  
Next thing he heard was a certain billionaire behind him. "Don't feel bad. I thought I was going insane too  the first time I saw them. By the way, it’s going to get a lot weirder," Tony said, remembering the first time he saw and heard the ravens.

 

Then, a the loud guitar riff for ‘Ride the Lightning’  went off, which Robert realized was his phone. He went to send it to voicemail when he recognized the number. He answered it, causing Fury to shoot him a look of scorn. Robert did not care, continuing on with his conversation.

 

 "Hello?... Yes, this is he... Yes, I know who he is... Wait, WHAT? When and where?... Oh my God. I am terribly sorry... Yes, I will do anything I can to help... Yes, thank you. Goodbye." Robert set his phone on the table and got up to look outside.

"Well, Agent Hall, what in God’s name was that awful sound and do you care to share what that conversation was about?" Fury asked.

 

Robert turned around to face everyone. His face had hardened. "I know you all know something, and I want to know what the fuck it is, NOW! That was Officer Williams, a friend of mine from the Pennsylvania State Police. He just told me that Officer Mitch Adams was killed this morning. His personal car exploded in the station's parking lot when he got in it after his shift and turned on the engine."

 

 

 

 

 

 


	15. Pray my Son, Pray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Avengers tell Robert what they know

The room was dead silent, everyone just staring at Robert  as if they could not believe the words that he just said. Robert looked back at everyone, one at a time; his mind was racing trying to process what had just happened. Adams and him  had become good friends since that tragic accident those two years ago. Adams had given him guidance, he’d helped him out of his depression, he’d pointed him towards support groups, church, and he’d always been there to listen as a friend. Now he was gone forever. His car had exploded when he’d turned the ignition. It had to be from a bomb.

 

  
“Look, I’m sorry, but Adams was a close friend, so please tell me what you know. This can’t go unpunished. I need to know everything that happened.”

 

 

No one said anything for a minute or two, before Thor finally spoke up. “We were unsure how to approach the matter... We did not want to cause more pain than you have suffered already.”   
  


 

“Well, it’s a bit too late for that now, isn’t it! Fuck this, some team you are! When someone decides to grow some balls and tell me the truth, I’ll be in my room,” Robert said  as he gathered his things, and headed for the door.

 

His eyes were brimming with tears, and just as he had a hand on the door handle, someone finally spoke up. “You didn’t kill them.”

 

Robert stopped and stood there, turning to face the team. “Please sit. That accident wasn’t your fault, Robert. Their deaths weren’t your fault.” The voice sounded so far away, but he could vaguely registered that it was Fury talking. Robert sat down, and Natasha got from her chair to sat next to him.

 

“What?” he asked in a daze, “What are you talking about, I killed both of them. I fell asleep at the wheel and then the other car hit us. I was the only one who lived. My eyes closed and then when I woke up, I was in the hospital and there were two state troopers and my superior, Agent Stones in my room,” Robert said slowly. He didn’t understand why people always told him that it wasn’t his fault. Even if he hadn’t purposefully killed them, he was responsible for their deaths. He’d been driving the car. Their safety had been in his hands and he’d fallen asleep. It was his fault they were dead.

 

“No,” Natasha said, shaking her head. “We did some looking around and we found out that the report that you received was very different from what Adams had wrote down. It was on his record that he arrested the other driver, and that you’d fallen asleep approximately ten seconds before the accident happened. Actually, the fact that you’d fallen asleep is what saved your life, because your body was completely relaxed. Adams told us that they ran simulations, and no matter what they did, there was no way that you could have avoided that crash,” Natasha said, as she put her arm around his.

 

“Adams arrested the other driver; he claimed to be an FBI agent, and sure enough, thirty minutes later, the driver walked out of the station  with his superior.” She saw his hand start to shake. She knew he had to be going through hell.

 

“Who was it? I know that you guys know. That’s all I want to know is who did it. I know that you know. Just tell me the name, please,” Robert said, voice devolving into a strangled whisper. He felt like his world was crashing down. It was true, then. Everything that he’d believed for the past two years  was now falling down around him.

 

No one dared say a word.

 

“Agent Hall, it was Agent Devon Michaels,” Commander Hill said, “Apparently, Agent Stones was with him when Michaels walk out of the police station.” Everyone looked at her in panic; they’d all planned to keep silent on the matter. “He deserves to know what happened,” she said firmly. The Commander had always respected Robert; he was a very good agent.

 

Robert has his head down, beginning to shake, and the tears fell from his eyes like rain. Natasha pulled him closer, knowing that the scab had been ripped off his old wound once again. Steve stood up, walked over to him, and knelt down next to him, putting his hand on his leg. “It’s okay Robert, we’re here for you.”  
  


Bruce was next, as he came over to kneel down by Natasha and put his hand on Robert’s arm, “You’re not alone. I know what it’s like to lose everything too.”

 

Thor was next, coming over and putting his hand on a his shoulder. “Trust me, son of Hall, we will find the truth.” Robert didn’t know it was possible, but he started to sob harder.     
  


Clint came over and put his hand on the other shoulder between Natasha and Bruce, but he hadn’t thought of something to stay, and just stood there. Still, the message on his face got across that once they found out who was responsible, he would help Robert enact revenge.

 

Loki and Tony stood up at the same time  and came over, each finding a small spot to put their hands. Loki didn’t say anything, Tony did, “We can’t change the past, but we can damn well make sure that they don’t get away with it.” Tony turned his head and looked at the directors. “You’re gonna’ do something about this, right?”

 

Fury looked at Hill, “Do we have any friends in the Department of Justice?”

 

Hill got out her Ultrabook out, starting to type. “Yes, we do, Sir.”  
  


“Thank you, but if you don’t mind, I would like to go for a walk and get some air, please,” Robert said, and everybody backed away as he stood up. He turned around and walked to the door, but then he stopped and came back to the table. He took a deep breath, and then took his gun out and set it on the table, then walking out the door.  
  


After a minute, Natasha stood up, “I’m going to tail him, I will be in touch.”  
  


“No, you’re not.” Fury said flatly.  
  


“Yes, I am,” she said in reply, just as coldly, narrowing her eyes. Fury raised his eyebrows.

 

“This is gonna’ be a cluster-fuck. Take someone with you.”   
  


Clint and Steve stood up. “Let’s go then, he’s got a lead on us.” Natasha got up, and they all left with Tony following.  
  


Tony said, “See you out there. I’ll watch from the air.”

 

* * *

 

 

Robert stopped at his apartment to grab a coat  as he headed out down in the elevator. “Jarvis, are you there?”  
  


 _“Yes Sir, I am here, how can I help?”_   


“One, tell anyone that is going to be following me  that I will have my phone on, with location enabled, to please just give me space. Two, where is the nearest non-catholic Christian church, please?”  
  


 _“I will relay that message to anyone following, and you would want the Marble Collegiate Church. It is approximately one point three miles south from here, if you could just turn to your left. Are you quite alright, Sir_?”  
  
“I think so, thank you for asking. See you later.” As Robert reached the lobby, he headed out and went to the left.

 

* * *

 

As the trio of Avengers was in the elevator, Jarvis informed about Robert’s request, which caught them off guard. They got off the elevator and tried to make contact with Tony.  
  


“Stark do you copy, I repeat, Stark do you copy?” Steve asked, using his Bluetooth.

 

“I got you, and I got him. I see him from above. I’ve wanted to tail someone for a while, by the way. I’ve got some new gadgets to try out. Anyway, Jarvis told me what he said, and I’m cool with that as long as he doesn’t do anything stupid.”

 

* * *

 

So as Robert walked down towards the Church, he knew he was being tailed. It bothered him a little, but he was glad they were keeping their distance at least. He overheard a little boy pointing out Iron Man, and made a mental note of that so that he could make fun of Tony later. As he neared the church, he saw the people going in and out of the building. He stopped at the steps and looked up at the tall  concrete building. He took a deep breath and went inside.

 

“Hey guys, I lost visual. He went inside the Marble Collegiate Church. Good taste.”  
  


“All right Stark, we’ll take it from here. Head back to tower. If we need you, we’ll be in touch,” Clint said.

* * *

 

Robert walked into the church and admired the beauty of it, the stain glass windows, the history of the pews, and sat down in one of them. He just folded his hands and sat there, praying to the God he loved.

 

Outside, the trio waited, blending in with the surroundings so that they wouldn’t bring attention to themselves. “So just curious, how long are we waiting for him?” Clint asked.  
  


“Till we know he’s okay and that he’s not gonna’ go murder that guy. Why, you gotta’ hot date?” Natasha asked.  
  
Steve shot a look at both of them disapprovingly. “He’s part of us now, and we take care of our own. That’s important in a team.”

 

“Hey, I was just making sure we were on the same page.”

* * *

 

 

As Robert sat in the church with his head down, he felt a tear fall to the carpet. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder; it felt warm, but wrinkled. He looked up, and a very elderly priest, maybe almost twice Robert’s age, was looking down at him and smiling. “My son, why do you cry in the house of the Lord?”  
  


“My Father, I feel so lost. I’m so angry and confused, and I don’t know what to do.”  
  


The Priest motioned for Robert to move over, which he did, and he sat down beside him. “Now, my son, I need you to tell me everything. Let the Lord hear your problems and he will bring you peace.”  
  


“Doesn’t he know already? Why say it out loud?”  
  


“Well he does know, but I would like to offer my wisdom as well. That was just a polite way of asking you to spill the beans,” the man quipped with a smile.  
    

Robert chuckled a little, and decided to tell the priest everything, starting with the crash that changed his life, to today, when he found out that he was betrayed by an agency that he’d loved working with.  
  


“My son, I know you are filled with this darkness, but there is a reason why this was revealed now and not in the past. Perhaps, the Lord did not feel you were strong enough, so he waited until you were with your family, for then you would have the strength and support to face this darkness.”  
  


“Family, what family, I have no one in my life now." _'He can't mean them as my family, can he?'_

 

* * *

 

 

As the three of them waited outside, Steve went to a shop to get some coffee, giving the other two their drinks as he came back. Clint was looking down the street and made a strange face.   
  
“Oh, dear God, is that who I think it is?” Steve and Natasha turned around to try to catch what he meant. Natasha saw it first, and her eyebrows shot up, her jaw dropped, and then she started giggling.  Steve still couldn’t see what had her and Clint laughing.  
  


“I don’t know what you find so funny, I mean, all I see is a guy with long blond hair, with a green Hawaiian shirt, purple leather jeans, and wearing a white cowboy hat, and a woman next to him with pink curly hair, and a blue tie-dye shirt with blue jeans. People dress weirdly here all the time. What is so funny about that? I mean, yeah, the woman is ugly looking, but that’s no reason to be mean.”

 

Clint and Natasha just laughed harder then as the couple came closer and closer, until it became clear that they were walking towards them.  
  
“Excuse me, Sir, but why are you laughing? I find it very rude,” came a heavy voice from the man.  
  


 

“Well, maybe because you are with the ugliest woman in the country, Thor. Who the hell dressed you like that, Rudolph?” Clint said smugly.  
  


 

Then the woman spoke, “I swear to you all, if this hair dye does not come out, I am going to murder Stark.” Her voice was deeper than it should be, and it suddenly hit Steve that it was Thor and Loki wearing the ugliest disguises he had ever seen.

 

 

“Why would you dress up like that?!” Steve asked in horror on his friends’ behalf. “I mean seriously, who came up with this idea?”

 

 

“Well, Thor was concerned for Robert’s well being, and we hadn’t heard any updates from you three, so Stark came up with idea of us wearing disguises on a ‘recon’ mission,” Loki said, doing finger-quotes very badly.

 

 

“Yes, and I had asked that our outfits would bring more attention to us. Stark claimed it was New York, in which we would blend in,” Thor said  
  


 

“Well, I do have to ask  where you got the clothes from, especially the jeans, because it looks like a second layer of skin,” Clint asked.  
  


 

“They are Pepper’s clothes, and no, I don’t know why she had pink hair dye laying around either. So what has been going on?”  
  


 

“Nothing really. He went in there, and we’re still waiting for him to come out, but I will give Stark credit, there are a lot people walking by us, and no one has given either of you a second look,” Natasha said  in between her giggles.

 

 

Loki just gave a long groan, putting a hand to his temples, wondering aloud for the thousandth time about how he gets himself into these things.

* * *

 

 

“Yes, my son, there is always family. It’s getting late, allow me to walk with you.”  
  


 

Robert looked at the priest; he looked tired, and he himself felt exhausted. After all, he’d been there for two hours, and his stomach was getting cranky.  
  


 

“Okay Father, thank you for your advice.” Robert stood up and they walked to the entrance together. Before they opened the door, the priest grabbed his arm.

 

 

“Listen to me, my son. I know that you are entertaining thoughts of revenge. Please, pray and pray for guidance and do not give into temptation. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel.”  
  


 

“Well, you have to be careful with that.” The priest looked at him curiously; Robert just smiled, “because that shining light at the end of the tunnel can be a freight train headed your way.”  
  


 

“Ah true, but you will have your family by your side.” And with that, they pushed open the doors to the church and walked outside. “I see you have people waiting.”  
  


 

As Robert looked to where the priest was talking about, there he saw them all,  Steve, Clint, Natasha, and two strangers. As he got closer and heard the voice, he just closed his eyes, smiled, and when reopened the eyes, he saw Thor and Loki.

 

  
“Thank you, this means a lot, it really does. Anybody hungry? Dinner’s on me, madam,” he teased. Loki just glared at him with narrowed eyes.  
  


 

Robert started to laugh, “After dinner, we really have got to work on getting your magic back, so that you can at least change back from your disguises. Pink hair? How’d they talk you into that? Please tell me that there is a story that goes with this.” Robert motioned for them all to head back to the tower with him.  
  


 

“What about you, what are you going to do about everything?” Clint asked, as they were walking down the sidewalk.  
  


 

Robert stopped and stood there for a few seconds. He turned to face him and smiled. "The same thing that I do to anyone else who has betrayed me. As Khan once said, _‘Do you know the Klingon proverb that tells us revenge is a dish that is best served cold? Well, it is very cold in space._ ’”

 

Clint looked at Natasha with a grin. “Well, this should be fun.”

 

Thor and Loki looked at each other then asked Clint, "What is a Klingon?"

 

 

 

 


	16. Do I Stay or Do I Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Plan and escape

When they got back to the tower, they found that there was pizza and wings for everyone; Tony had ordered them before they arrived. They sat around to eat and just talk in general, trying to be upbeat. Thor and Loki excused themselves so that they could change and get back to looking normal. About a half an hour later, Thor rejoined the group. About thirty minutes after that, a voice spoke from the ceiling.

 

 _"Sir, I feel it is my duty to tell you that Loki is ragingly pissed off at you. The dye did come out of his hair, but for some reason, it stuck to his body,"_  Jarvis informed the group.

 

On that note, the elevator opened up, and a wet black haired man with pink spots all over his skin walked in. It was a good thing that Loki had his magic removed, because God only knew what he would have done to Stark. "Stark, what the hell is this? Look at me. Why does this stuff not come off my skin?" Loki demanded, as everyone politely tried not to laugh, but were failing horribly.

 

"Gee, Loki, I don't know why. J, can you look for the reason why?" Tony asked him, trying to hold some composure.

 

 _"Certainly,"_  A minute or two went by before Jarvis responded with,  _"Sir, you used pastel coloring, instead of normal hair coloring. It will disappear in one to two weeks of regular bathing, according to the directions."_

 

"Um, sorry there, Reindeer Games, my bad. I had no idea that would happen," Tony remarked, smiling and snickering at the Asgardian.

 

"Sorry?! SORRY! You were the one responsible for this, and all you can say is sorry?! I want to kill you for making me look so ridiculous." Loki started to walk closer and closer to Tony. It definitely looked like Loki was not going to hug Stark.

 

"Loki, stop, I know what to do," Natasha ordered, turning to Pepper and asking, "Do you have some nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol with some cotton balls?" Pepper nodded her head and went to go get the items.

 

When she came back, she gave them to Natasha, who opened it and put some of the remover on a cotton ball. She then walked over to Loki and handed it to him. "Dab this on the spot. You may have to rub it, but that should remove it."

 

Loki looked at her with some mistrust, but he ultimately took the cotton ball and rubbed it on a spot on his hand. A few seconds later, the spot was gone.

 

Loki looked at her and took in a deep breath. "Thank you. If you will excuse me, I will go remove the rest of these spots. Stark, you will be lucky if I don't shove these balls down your throat." With that, Loki left the room and took the elevator back to his room.

 

"Well, that was interesting. Now, for something completely different," Tony commented dryly. "Anybody want a drink?"

 

Clint, Natasha, and Thor asked for beer. Robert looked at Tony. "Can I have a Jack and Jim Go to the South to buy Coke, please?"

 

"Excuse me, a what?!" a very confused looking Tony demanded.

 

"Really? You don't know that one? In a regular glass, put in a half shot of Jack Daniels, Jim Bean, and Southern Comfort, and then fill the rest with cola," Robert looked up and saw people staring at him. "What? I had a rough day or two. Besides, I am half Irish and half German so I feel the need to celebrate my heritage." Tony made the drink for Robert and gave it to him. He took a sip to test it and nodded his agreement with it. "Thanks."

 

Satisfied that it had been made correctly, Robert stood up and tapped the side of his drink with a fork several times. Everyone stopped to look at him. He knew what he had to say to them all.

 

"I'd like to say thank you, to you all, from the bottom of heart. I know that this has been an incredibly eventful past couple of days. In light of certain events that have been revealed, I am unsure of what path to take here. A part of me wants to get these bastards and slowly skin them alive. Another part of me wants them to be arrested and die in prison. The last part of me wants to forgive them and let them be. Then, when they die, they will face my Lord and then, they will see true punishment for all of eternity."

 

Robert paused, taking a swallow or two of his drink. "You have been very patient with me, and I thank you for that, but I am going to retire to my room for the night. There are some very heavy decisions I need to make."

 

"Like, what kind of decisions?" Steve asked. "You should share them with us."

 

"I agree, Son of Hall. You are a part of this team. Maybe we can share some wisdom with you."

 

"That's very kind of you. Okay, then. I am considering removing myself from the team." Everyone stopped talking and just looked at Robert. "I figured that would be the reaction. My faith was shattered today by something I love dearly: my government. Yes, yes, I know that there is corruption, blackmail, black ops, lobbyists, and betrayal in the government. I'm not stupid. The FBI betrayed me, and a man died today. He had a wife and two beautiful daughters."

 

Robert drank some more of his drink. "This isn't your battle, and I want to protect the team. I don't want to drag you into something that might get you all killed. I don't know where I am at, or what I need to do, so maybe it is best if I leave and sort this mess out."

 

"No." Everyone turned their heads to find that it had been Bruce who spoke up. "No. You are not going to do that, because that is what I did. I ran, hid, and then ran some more. I looked for answers. I wanted to be alone. There are clearly people who don't want this to be known. You could be making yourself a target. After the Battle of New York, I wanted to run back to India, but Tony stopped me." Bruce walked over to Tony and placed a hand on his shoulder. "He gave back almost everything that I thought was gone forever. I will be damned if I will watch someone else do the same."

 

"There was a man who was sent to kill me. He made another call and he gave me another chance. This is a chance to avenge your loved ones," Natasha said as she put her hand on Robert's shoulder.

 

"When you did your thing about all of us being afraid of losing control, you were right, but you also forgot that we are also about being accepting and giving second or third chances. This is your chance. What are you going to do?" Tony looked at him with an expectant eyebrow raised.

 

"There is a reason why things happen. In the nine realms, the Fates will often guide you to what needs to be done," Thor explained. Everyone except Jane did a double take to him.

 

"Well, it's about time that you said something that makes sense," remarked Loki.

 

Robert just stood there before nodding. "Okay, then. Let's nail these bastards to the wall. What do we do?"

 

Everyone looked at Steve. "Normally, I'd make the calls, but I think Clint and Natasha would have a better plan for this mission." Natasha and Clint both nodded their heads in agreement. They walked over to each other and started whispering so that only they could hear. After a few minutes, they separated, and Natasha spoke.

 

"Tony, can you start hacking and see what you dig up on these guys? Robert and Bruce, go to Pennsylvania and look over that car again. See what you can find about the material of the explosives. Clint and I will start conducting surveillance on the targets. Thor, get with Odin and see what you can do about Loki getting his magic back. We may need some of his skills."

 

_"Sir, I hate to interrupt, but there are a group of F.B.I. agents that claim they have a warrant for Agent Hall."_

 

"Pepper, start calling lawyers. J, ask them on what charges," Tony instructed, as Pepper started calling the company's lawyers.

 

_"The agents claims it's for obstruction of an investigation and three counts of involuntary manslaughter."_

 

Natasha got her phone out. "I need to speak to the Director, now. We have a Code Two." After a few moments, she continued. "Fury. Yes, there is a group of F.B.I. agents here to arrest Hall. Yes, we have a plan. We can do that."

 

The call ended and she turned to face the team. "Fury says to get him out of here. The Justice Department needs time to get started with its investigation."

 

"J, stall them. Make them walk. Buy us time."

 

_"Yes, sir, I will do my best."_

 

"I guess it is time to go. You got a way out?" Hall asked.

 

"Banner and Hall, go to the roof. There's a Quinjet. We'll head out that way," Barton instructed them. "We'll be in touch."

 

The four of them headed up to the launch pad. When they reached the top, they got into the jet and took off. Robert looked out of the window as they flew across the Manhattan skyline. He then looked up to the heavens and thought,  _'God, I have my faith in you. Please protect my family.'_

 

As the rest of the team sat and waited for about 15 minutes, Jarvis spoke.

 

_"Sir, just to let you know, the Agents have reached the apartment."_

 

"Well, it is about time. We are almost out of food. Gee z, they must be out of shape or something," Tony commented as he poured another drink.

 

There was a knock at the door, and Pepper went over to open it. The Agents identified themselves.

 

"We have a warrant for the arrest of Robert Hall, and the right to search his property," Agent Williams said, trying to catch his breath.

 

"Well, I am sorry, but you just missed him. He left twenty five minutes ago, but when he comes back, I will give him a message," Pepper said in her _'polite, but go fuck off voice'._

 

"You made us walk on purpose. We can arrest you for that," another F.B.I. agent said.

 

"Really, didn't you learn your lesson the first time?" The agents turned around and saw Loki, Thor, and even Jane a standing behind them.

 

"I think you should leave now,' Steve said to them as he joined Tony and Pepper at the bar.

 

Williams was exhausted. He knew there was no shot in hell. "If we leave in peace, please, can we use the elevator?"

 

Tony and Pepper looked at each other and smiled. Tony looked at the agents. "Since you said please, yes, you may."

 

The agents heard the Avengers laughing as they got on to the elevator, but they also swore they heard muffled British laughter in the elevator as well.


	17. The Threat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terrorist,

Robert quickly fell asleep as the jet flew across the night sky. The next thing he was aware of was the sound of a click. He opened his eyes and saw Bruce staring at him. It was then he noticed that his own neck was a little sore from how he slept, so he cracked his neck as Bruce kept looking at him.

 

"Okay, where are we at? What gives? Is there a reason that you are staring?" Robert said to him.

 

"I don't like flying when we hit a lot of turbulence, so I focus and try to calm myself." The last thing Bruce or anyone else would want to happen is for him to Hulk out on an airplane.

 

"Well, we just landed on the Helicarrier. How the hell did you sleep through that turbulence, but wake up when we unbuckled the seat belts?" Clint asked as he stood up from the cockpit seat.

 

"It's a gift, or a curse, depending on how you look at it." He stretched and stood up from the bench.

 

"Well, it makes no sense trying to look at a car in the dark. Besides, if there is a warrant out for you, we need to get that taken care of first."

 

"True. Hopefully Stark didn't get himself arrested by being cocky to those agents," Robert said as he walked off the jet. He looked around at the massive carrier. "So, this is where all my tax dollars have been going to. Not bad." He followed the three inside. He truly was amazed by it.

 

"We probably should report to Fury, see what he found out," Clint said as they made their way to the director's office.

 

"Is there any chance of us stopping by the mess hall before that and getting some coffee and food?" Robert asked and then explained further. "I'm hungry, since I didn't really get a chance to eat."

 

The two spies looked at each other. Natasha looked at Bruce, who nodded in agreement. Robert should've noticed that people stared at Clint as they walked to the some people still didn't trust Clint since the whole Loki-brainwashing part of the battle. Robert often wondered if Loki had been brainwashed himself. He was the god of lies, tricks, and chaos. It did not seem to be his style, the whole attack on New York.

 

When they reached the cafeteria, Robert excused himself to use the restroom. He did his business, and in the middle of washing his hands, a voice interrupted the cleansing process to ask, "Why are you with that traitor, Hall? You know he can't be trusted, and to add to the fact, the guy that supposedly did the brainwashing is in it with them."

 

Robert looked up into the mirror and saw two agents talking behind him. "You know what? Take this as you want, but why don't you mind your own fucking business? Clint is a good man and a damn good agent. Maybe if you take two seconds to look at the facts and not believe rumors from three-year-olds..." said Robert, as he slowly turned around to face the agents. "Look, I can understand why you would think he is a traitor, but you have to remember that we are dealing with forces that are beyond our world. There are monsters, magic, aliens, and other shit that may be out there. It could have been anyone in Barton's position. What if it was Fury? Hill? Coulson? Would you call them traitors? Clint has been with S.H.I.E.L.D. for over a decade, and never once has he done a damn thing to hurt us. He is the one who brought the famous Black Widow to our side. Don't you think the man goes through enough hell, thinking every day of the lives that were ended by him?"

 

The agents could not look Hall in the eye. They knew he was right. They had just joined the opinions of the others without thinking about it. "I am sorry. I really am. You are right. I feel bad for harassing the shit out of him."

 

"Yeah, I never thought about it that way. If I hear anyone mocking him, I am going to stick up for him," the other agent said to Hall. Robert did not know if he could believe them, but he felt like he had wasted enough time on these two morons. Robert wanted to say more to the agents, but all he did was put his hand on the agent's' shoulders for a few moments. He then turned and walked out the restroom, leaving the agents standing with their heads down.

 

As he left the bathroom and started to walk down the hallway, a voice to his left said, "I thought you died in there. Thought I was going to have to send in search and rescue."

 

Robert turned around and saw the two spies leaning against the wall.

 

"Well, if you are done wasting time, let's go," Clint said as he looked Robert in the eye and started walking.

 

Robert looked for Bruce as well but he could not find him. Robert figured that they had heard the conversation, but was taken off guard by the remark.

 

He just shook his head. As he started to walk again, Natasha strode past him and tugged his arm so that he would look at her.

 

"Yes, we heard everything. That is his way of saying thank you. You didn't have to, you know."

 

Robert looked her in the eyes. She understood the look, as because she had seen it before. It was the 'you are my family now, and I will always defend my family' look.

 

They went to the cafeteria, had some food and a few drinks, when Natasha's phone goes off. Before she even got the phone to her ear, they could hear Fury yelling about them not being in his office right away. She told him that they would be there immediately. They quickly took a few more bites of their food and proceeded to the director's office.

 

"Well, glad you could make it. I have had the F.B.I. calling, trying to threaten me, giving me a Stark-class size headache. I don't understand what we may have uncovered here, but somebody wants you out of the picture."

 

"Must be my charming personality. It is quite electrifying, don't you think?" Robert stated, ending it with a big smile on his face.

 

"I am only going to say this once: You act like Stark again, and I will shoot you in the leg," Fury said in a cold voice

 

Natasha and Clint's facial expressions did not change as they looked at Robert, who just then came back to reality.

 

"Right, got it. Anyways, I don't understand either. I mean, the DUI would look bad for the FBI, but killing a state trooper over it? That's a bit over the top. There is obviously something bigger going down. What? I have no idea."

 

"Well, start digging and let me know. Hall, you are staying here. Your photo is all over the news. The minute you get back on the ground, you may be arrested."

 

"Yeah, I don't want that shit. Hmm, no, never mind, that shit only works in the movies. I had a thought that I could get arrested, and then I would meet the people, and they would tell us their plan."

 

Hill's phone started ringing. She answered it, was immediately annoyed when she heard the voice. She responded, "Stark, how the hell did you get my number? You hacked the database again? Great! Now, I have to get people to reprogram the firewalls again. Thank you so much for ruining my week. What do you want? Well, why you didn't call Fury, then? Really, you feel like talking to me?" Hill let out an exasperated sigh. "Stark, I am going to shoot you. Yes, fine, I will transfer you." With that, she pressed a few buttons and then Fury's phone rang. Fury answered it. He already felt his blood pressure going up.

 

"What you do want, Stark? Yes, I have a screen in my office. You know that. It's usually where I point out your fuckups on."

 

All of sudden, Tony's face was on the TV. He was clearly in one of the many labs at the tower.

 

"Hello there, Blackbeard. Oh, hi there, Bruce. Nice of you to join us."

 

Banner had just entered the room. He had stopped at a lab to get some things for the trip to detect chemicals. He acknowledged everyone, and he sat down. "So, anyways, Jarvis did uncover some stuff. Apparently, FBI agents Stones and Michaels like to meet with interesting, fun people about thrice a year."

 

With that, two pictures came up on the screen with the FBI agents and people meeting at restaurants or parks. Natasha immediately started to curse in Russian.

 

"I am going to take that as she is not happy to see them," Robert commented.

 

"Those are very high ranking members of the Russian Mafia, former employers. They definitely do not do nice things," said Natasha, who was still trying to clear her ledger from her past. She had felt that it was getting better.

 

Hill then said, "Are we positive that they were not on an ops assignment?" She always wants to make sure all the bases are covered.

 

Fury said, "Yes, I checked that fact already with the Director. Neither Stones nor Michael's were cleared or on any undercover missions."

 

Then, Stark put another couple of images up. Robert looked at the pictures and cursed. "Oh fuck! Please tell me that isn't who I think it is."

 

Clint looked at Robert and nodded his head.

 

"Thanks, great news. Members of the terrorist group Hamas?! What the fuck did we uncover here?"

 

Because of the background and the way people looked, Robert had a sudden thought. 'Why was Agent Michaels meeting with known members of Al Qaeda and Hezbollah?'

 

Tony started speaking again. "Jarvis was able to uncover that agents Michaels and Stones have offshore banking accounts with millions of dollars in them. I don't know what these guys are selling, but they are getting really rich, and quick, off of it."

 

Robert stood up. He rubbed his face with his right hand and turned to face Stark, where he could see Thor and Rogers in the background.

 

"Stark, can you check your inventory of weapons and other weapon manufacturers for suspicious or missing weapons shipments? Usually, when it is, there are millions of dollars and terrorist group's weapons or drugs involved," Robert explained to Stark.

 

"Okay, I will see what I can dig up. I will be in touch, Mentho Drop."

 

"Mentho Drop? Really? Dude, that is the lamest nickname I have heard yet."

 

"Hill, order the rapid-response teams to get ready. We may need them," Fury told the commander.

 

"Yes, sir," said Hill, and with that, she left the room.

 

"Okay. What are the possible scenarios that could happen here? I know that there are tons of terror groups making threats out there. What are the most serious ones to happen?" They started discussing possible attacks: on Israel, the USA, Great Britain, and many others, for the next hour.

 

Suddenly, Tony's face appeared on the screen.

 

"Hey guys, this is um, not good. I have found out that earlier this year, there was a shipment of fifty FIM-92 Stingers that disappeared. Everything in the books looked good, but they are not there. I have Jarvis digging deeper."

 

"Tony, is there any way you can check other weapon manufacturers' inventories for similar cases?"

 

"Yes, I actually did think of that on my own. We started those searches as well."

 

"Wow, you thought of that on your own, Stark. I am impressed," Natasha commented.

 

"Hey, no fair- that was my idea, you jerk," said Steve, as he came closer to Tony.

 

"No, you did not. It was my idea, ice-cube boy," Tony stated back to the Captain.

 

"Actually, sir, it was Mr. Roger's idea first," said Jarvis.

 

"Traitor. Fine, the ice-man had an idea that was actually a good one for once."

 

"Children, shut the fuck up and let us know when you find something. Goodbye," Fury said as he started to rub his temples.

 

"Aye, aye, Captain Blackbeard," said Tony. And with after that he was gone.

 

"Okay, something bad is going down, sooner than later probably. Are there any important things happening in the coming weeks?" Clint asked.

 

"Hold on, let me check," said Fury as he started typing on his computer. And His face just froze at the information he was reading. "Oh fuck, there is the ASEAN-U.S. Leaders' Meeting coming up, on November 19th. The ASEAN Summit is an annual meeting held by the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in relation to economic and cultural development of Southeast Asian countries."

 

"Okay, what is so important about that?" Bruce asked. He hated politics with a passion, almost as much as he hated the other guy.

 

"Because it is held in Asia and the president tries to attend these meetings as much as possible," Robert noted back.

 

"Why? What is that?" asked Bruce.

 

"The US, is always looking for ways to expand into that region for economic growth and cheaper labor."

 

Tony popped up back on the screen, "Well, I got worse news for all you Scooby-Doo kids. In the past year and a half, over three hundred Stinger or other missile-related weapons have gone missing from Stark, Hammer, and General Dynamics.

 

"Director, weren't there intel reports from several agencies that made it clear that terrorist group were possibility looking for ways to shoot down passenger jets?" asked Natasha.

.


	18. Careful who you Dream of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert reports to Who?!?,

"Excuse me; how the hell do you know that is going to happen?" Robert said to the Black Widow, "That is hell of a conclusion to come to." as he leaned back in his chair, rubbing his forehead with his one hand, a wave of tiredness flowed through his body, he needed to get sleep soon, his eyelids closed, his body tired from the stressful day was rapidly falling asleep

 

She snapped her head so that she could glare at him, 'how dare he question her? What the hell, was he asleep?" The others also noticed Robert's eyes were closed, Fury waited a few seconds, he took a large book that he had on desk, he lifted it, and then there was a loud bang, he was jolted awake.

 

Robert eyes flew open, directly into the gaze of the angry director, Robert silently cursed himself, he knew what happened, he quickly cracked his neck from side to side and landed in the Widow's deep stare, remembering the comment that he made before, he quickly realized why she was pissed at him.

 

"Riight, master spy, yeah I forgot about that, sorry." Robert said as he made a gulping sound, he moved his head to avoid the Widow's stare, because for once he was very afraid that she was going to kill him.

 

Fury shaking his head over Robert's idiocy "She is right, there have been several intel reports that have come out in the past year, warning of terrorist groups wanting shoulder fire missiles to shoot down passenger planes."

 

"Well kids, I like to break up this moment of drama, but Jarvis has almost located were my shipments are at." Tony said with such confidence, he was always looking to point out when Jarvis did well.

 

"Tony, how do you know where they are at and what are you going to do when you find them?" asked Banner as he turned away from his phone to ask his friend

 

"Well like duh, Brucie, I had them bugged, when I decided that I would stop making weapons. I put tracking devices on all of them, so in case, something like this. I would be able to find and destroy them, which is exactly what I am going to do now." There was a beeping sound that came from lab "Hey, alright Jarvis has located my toys, and they are in Vietnam, well that is nice distance away. Well, whatever, I am leaving now, I should be back in about 16 hours, no more missiles, no more threats, so later." Stark was about to sign off

 

Suddenly Robert jumped out of his chair, "WAIT! Don't do that yet," Robert yelled, Clint and Fury both tilted their heads a little to look at Robert like he was nuts "That would be a real stupid idea, for you do that."

 

"He noticed the stares, "Who is to say that all the weapons are there, if you go blow up the joint sky high, they are going to know that we are on to them. They might start their plans sooner than we can respond to them." So Clint wanted Tony to blow it up, Natasha wanted to go in and take the place out solo, Fury wanted it make it look an accident. Just then Robert happened to noticed on Tony's left side, a muscle bound blond haired man, sitting across from black haired man in a green shirt, eating what looked like pop tarts. A big smile started to form on Robert's face

 

Tony noticed the grin, "Why are you smiling like, that is actually starting to creep me out."

 

Robert just turned his head to the others in the room, "Hey, I have an idea, do they get thunderstorms in Vietnam this time of the year?"

 

** Somewhere in Central Vietnam **

 

It was odd for them to be in the middle of the jungle, they have spent most of their lives in the desert. But Hezbollah troop understood what was asked of them, to protect the building. The attack was only a few days away, and then they would be able to attack the summit. It started to look like a nice day, even though it was the middle of November, it was a nice seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit. It was heavily protected by lots and lots of mines, electric fences, and lots of guerrilla clothing troops. They knew their orders, protect the building at all cost, or they will die. It was early in the morning, the clouds started to form, the wind picked up speed. It was early for a thunderstorm, the Hezbollah Commander yelled for the weather report again; the troops hoped it would be over soon, it started to rain a lot. The troops moved closer to the building carefully avoiding the landmines of course, suddenly a bolt of lightning hit one of the vehicles and it blew up instantly, the lightning was getting worse, then it happen again, another bolt hit the building, it caught on fire. The Commander made a decision; they had to get out of there, because he knew the fire would reach the explosives. So all the troops started to withdraw, but then a huge bolt hit the building, square in the middle going through the roof like a like sword through a piece of paper, the bolt hit the weapons stockpile right in the middle, there was an enormous explosion, that would leave no survivors, and the jungle would take many decades to regrow the trees and plant life to cover up the disaster.

 

Back on the Helli-carrier, they were watching in Fury's office on the screen a SHIELD Spy satellite, as they saw the explosion in infrared. "Well that takes of that and no one on our side got hurt. And we still have our element of surprise." Robert said as he turned to face the rest of the group.

 

"So now what we do, it is going to be hard to track down the missing shipments of weapons." Bruce said, as walked over to sit down.

 

"Hi guys miss me!" Tony popped back up on the screen, giving everyone a heart attack, Tony looked at Natasha and Clint's stare, "I am going to pay for that aren't I, Oh well. Anyways, I was in contact with the other companies who had their weapons stolen. They also put bugs on their stuff, and they gave me the information, Jarvis is now looking for the stuff."

 

"Well, Well, Here is a map of the US, now I am going to highlighted all the major US airports, see if Nat over there is right. We will make them the color red, which is about 51, I think. In a few seconds Jarvis will display all the sensors where the missiles are those will be gold."

 

As everybody watched the map little gold dots popped up and they kept popping all over the US until every single major airport had at least two gold dots next to them. Robert's face hardened he brought his hand to face and started to rub it. He turned around again to look at the map, and then turned to look at Fury and say to him "Do you have a secure line and I mean real secure, please."

 

"Birdbrain, give mentho there your phone. I'll guarantee my phone signal is secure and safe." Clint handed Robert a Stark phone, Robert started to dial numbers, it started to ring, after a few seconds, Robert started to speak to someone, "Hall here, Code level one, code phase, "Eagles win the Super bowl." Everyone just stared at Hall, the phone started to ring again, and someone else picked up the line. Robert repeated the information again, and then he added "The Beatles sucked." He waited for a second or two, and then he said, "Code one, Level one. Yes, I understand the time, Look here you fucking douchebag, and get the President on the phone now." Everybody in the room was jolted awake and just stared at Robert, who the hell was he, how the hell can he call the President, what the hell is going on here: were just a few of the thoughts running through everyone's head.

 

After a few seconds, "Mr. President, yes good evening, Sir, yes I have an update, where am I sir, on the Helli-carrier. Yes I have Director Fury with me, the situation is critical; the CIA reports are correct for once. What do you mean you want another opinion right now; I am in a room with Director of SHIELD, probably the two best agents they have and Dr. Banner. Yes, he is the one who turns green, and pisses off General Ross to no ends sir."

 

He rolled his eyes back to his head, and waited for a second, as he looked at everyone in the room he knew that there was going to be a lot of explaining to do. "Yes, Mr. President, Huh! Really, okay then." Robert brought the phone down, and he said "The President would like your opinion." Fury held out his hand to take the phone, but he did not feel the weight in his hand, when he looked up. Robert was holding the phone to Banner, "He is a busy man, and you might want to take it."

 

Banner took the phone and put it up to his ear, "Yes, Mr. President, yes, the information that was given to you is correct. How many gold dots, over a hundred, sir, yes I agree this is a grave threat to innocent citizens. Yes, Mr. President, well thank you, really? Yes I would be honored to do so." Clint and Natasha looked at Robert, he read their expressions, he held up his finger. Banner kept talking for a few more minutes, and then he handed the phone back to Hall. Banner went to go sit down; he saw his teammates staring at him. He acknowledged them and that he would tell them what he said.

 

"Yes, Mr. President, I understand the situation, of course I take it serious, by whatever means necessary, I am sure Fury will appreciate that help, thank you sir, Yes I will give the phone to him." Robert brought the phone down, looked at Fury and motioned it to him.

 

Fury took the phone and put it up to his ear, "Hello Mr. President, thank you Sir, yes that a lot of area to cover, no we do not have the ability to cover that, whatever forces you need, you got: FBI, CIA, NSA, ATF, military, swat, and anything else you can give sir, thank you Mr. President. Have a good day, yes God Bless America. " explained Fury. He ended the call and gave the phone back to Barton. There was a moment or two of silence, Natasha turned her head and looked at Robert.

 

"So, care to explain, like now, before I unleash my rage, on your ass, for betraying us."

 

Robert signed, he lifted his head up and looked Natasha in the eye, "Three years ago, it was suspected that illegal weapons sales were happening that somehow involved the FBI, CIA. or NSA. So a group of people were selected to go undercover and try to find out who were the traitors. I was one of them, I was trying to make progress, but kept hitting dead ends, and then I was working with Stones. I started to make progress, but then the accident happened. So I was transferred to SHIELD, naturally I did not want to blow my cover, so I tried to find things during my off time."

 

Robert took some deep breaths, "I can only hope that as spies yourselves, you can understand the position I was in. The accident, wanting to help the Avengers out, the hypersomnia, and anything else is true. I was actually excited when I found out that I got the position, so I thought maybe I had just been given another assignment." He hoped that they would believe him, he hated the fact that he made have broken their trust.

 

Banner got up and walked over to him, he put his hand on his shoulder. "The other guy knew there was something up with you, but I do think you are telling the truth."

 

Natasha understood where Robert was coming from, as she turns to look at Tony on the TV. She remembered how he and Pepper felt when she revealed the truth to them about that she was a spy. Natasha looked at Robert, her glares hardened, it was her kill glare "But if you lie, betray, hurt, or anything else like that, I will make sure it will be the last time."

 

Robert stared back into her eyes, he was scared to the bone, and this is usually the last look that someone sees before they die. "I understand,"

 

"Why did he want to talk to Bruce?" ask Natasha

 

"He wanted an opinion from someone who was not a spy," Robert relaxed a little, "so how are we going to stop this. I mean we can't be everywhere at once."

 

Steve walked in the image next to Stark, "I have an idea, Jarvis can you pull that map again of the airports again." Jarvis pulled the map up again and lite the airports in red. "Okay great, now can you put on the same map, can you highlight in blue, all the military bases of all branches in the US." With that all of sudden, there were blue dots near all the airports, there some cases of bases being far away, but the majority of them were overlapping each other.

 

"Steve, that is the best idea I have heard all day," Robert said, I'm sure we can coordinate a military response. We need to get ahold of the Joint Chiefs, and let them talk to the base commanders and go from there."

 

"No, your ass needs to go to bed, because if your eyes roll back into your head one more time. I am going to smack you in the head so hard, you will be in a coma that will make Captain America's sleep look like a nap!" Fury said he knew Robert was pushing his body past its limits.

 

Robert was about to argue, but his body told his brain to shut up, he felt a huge yawn come from his lungs, after the yawn, "Fine, I will go now, just wake me if anything bad goes down." Robert knew there was no arguing with them. As he said goodnight to everyone, he headed to one of the empty quarters. He didn't even bothering changing out of his clothes, as he lay down on the bed, the waves of tiredness went through his body, it slowly went black and he was out.

 

' _Hello Robert, how are you doing with your new ffrrienddddsss, did you miss me." The voice came from the darkness around him. As Robert looked around, he was in a cave with openings all around, except the back rock wall, he did not feel fear or scared. "It has been a while since we have met."_

 

_Robert looked around "What do you want Astaroth, what do you seek?"_

 

" _You know what I seek, why are you not helping me?"_

 

" _Well, like DUH! because my Lord would frown upon me helping you."_

 

" _After all I have done for you, this is how you repay me, and you know that you have permission to work with me, I swear it is true."_

 

" _Right, pardon me for not believing a demon, wanting revenge and death. Who likes to use my body, do his dirty work?"_

 

" _Your Lord, gave me permission to do what I need, I am just reminding you want I need done. You never will know when you will need my service, other than that I leave you alone."_

 

" _By the way Robert, I would not trust Loki too much, he can be swayed too easy, and I trust him, as much as I trust Odin."_

 

" _What about the Thor, since we are on the subject. What do you mean Loki can be swayed?"_

 

" _Thor is an oaf, but he can be trusted. Once the mind has been invaded, it is easy to do it again."_

 

" _Well thank you, for the information,"_

 

" _No Problem, I will leave you now, take care, I will be in touch."_

 

 _With that, Robert felt him rising from the cave and_ he started to wake up, as he opened his eyes. He was back in his guest room, 'Christ, I hope I don't have to explain that story to them, they will really think I am nuts."

 

He saw that it was 4am, he got up and walked to the Director's office, as he walked in, everyone stopped talking and looked at him. "I thought I told you to sleep, it has only been four hours." Fury snapped at him

 

"Yes, but you forget, I also fall into Rem sleep faster, so a four hour nap, is like an eight hour sleep to a normal person. So what has happened?

 

Fury looked at Robert, trying to see if he was lying; his eyes looked focused and awake.

 

"Well, have a seat and we will update you."


	19. Really! Not Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dont make him angry. plan of attack

So Robert sat down next to Natasha, on her right, Clint was on her left, and Banner was gone, he had left to get some sleep. Fury started to speak, "The President is going to talk to all the base commanders at once, he is going to instruct them to use the SRTS or Special Response Teams, special ops, and regular troops, any airports that are not near bases we will be in charge of helping out, with local SWAT teams as backup."

"The President is going to call within the hour, and let the base commanders he wants to be organized by tonight, and then they will attack all at once. See we have the coordinates to help guide them, thanks to Stark, they will take out the targets?" Fury said with a beat of optimism.

 

One look at the three as they all turned to look at each, killed any hopeful ending because each set of eyes said the same thing. _'Yeah, like it ever goes that easy,'_ there was a melody sound, that broken the focus stare, Fury answered his phone, then a few seconds later he said thank you, and hung up, he looked at the three agents, the President is going to talk.

 

The monitor turned on, and the President appeared on the screen, he was in the Oval Office.

 

"My Fellow Americans, Base Commanders, Generals, and all other military personnel of the United States of America, I speak to you this morning with a very grave threat in our country. Yesterday morning, one of our intelligence agencies, SHIELD, discovered that around our major airport centers, that there are terrorist armed with machine guns, shoulder fire missiles, and other various weapons. These missiles are capable of bring down a passenger jet, and killing everyone on board. Tony Stark or Iron Man has been able to locate where they are at, and he will aid us in stopping this threat. I, The President of the United States, in being the Commander In Chief of the armed forces, I am using my constitutional right to ordered all Military SRT {Special Reaction Teams} and Special Ops, and any other military troops to be organized and deployed to in order to protect this great country. We need to work together on this one; we want to strike at night time before they can strike us, we don't know much time we have... God Bless America and Thank you all, good luck to all." With that the screen turned dark and everyone in the room refocused on each other

 

"Nice speech, I still don't like him as the President." Robert said, shaking his head, he noticed everyone looking at him, he raised his hands, "What? I voted for the other guy."

 

Fury face palmed his head and rubbed, thinking to himself that he needed vacation. Good luck in that thought, the last time he took a vacation, Stark blew up half of queens when, Vanko attacked him and Rhodes, he thought who caused more damage, Stark or the Hulk?

 

Then he thought how New York City has bad luck, Stark blows up Queens, Hulk wrecks Harlem, and then Loki in Manhattan.

 

Everyone in the room agreed that they should rest now, so that they would be ready for tonight attack. Robert went to his quarters, Clint and Natasha, went to the training room to spar, and Fury went to get something to eat.

 

As Robert lay in his bed, he was looking at the picture that he wished did not make him cry. It was the last picture of the three of them taken before the accident. They just had the photo taken after dinner, it was a lovely night. They were just going out to dinner that night and then head home, just like any other evening, except that was the night.

 

The night that his world would stop, remembering how he felt tired, but that wasn't anything different. They picked him up at the airport, he just returned from a 6 month undercover assignment. He was happy to see them there, hugs and kisses; she was a wonderful woman, blunt, honest, sarcastic, and funny. Her son was almost like her in personality, but he was a good teenager….

 

"Hey there, come back to the land of living Robert. Robert, dude, you are scaring me, wake up." Robert slowly opened his eyes and saw the two assassins standing over him. "Robert, are you okay, we have been trying to wake you for five minutes. We were about to call medical on you."

 

Robert cracked his neck, he felt like he was in a daze, "What, what happened, what time is it?" As he tried to stand up, he swayed back and forth, Clint helped back to the cot, before he fell.

 

Natasha put her hand on his shoulder, "It is okay, it is 11am, nothing has happened, other than the military will be ready for tonight. "Hey, you still look like you're in a daze, is everything okay?"

 

She noticed his wallet on the floor, as she picked up, she saw the photo, "Is that them?" Robert nodded his head, she handed the wallet back to him, and he took it and offered it to Clint.

 

Clint looked at the photo; he could see the love that was there. "You were happy weren't you," Robert nodded again; "You never really have talked about it, did you."

 

"No, I have kept it to myself," Robert replied.

 

"If you want to talk, we'll listen," Clint offered.

 

Robert took a deep breath, "I remember that night, I just finished a 6 month undercover sting, and they were at the airport to pick me up. God, she was beautiful, so we left the airport we went out to dinner, Dave and Busters, they were talking the whole time, about what they were going to on vacation. They had this special family night going on, you can get your photo taken. So we did that, played some games, it was a lot of fun."

 

The tears started to trickle down his cheek, "So we decided it was time to go home, we had this system, when it came to Philadelphia, my wife hated driving there. So I would drive until we got out of Philly, and then before we got to the turnpike ticket stand, we would switch so that I would not ….." He froze, he could not move, the blood drained out of his face, his skin looked so white, then suddenly he fell down on his left side, still not moving

 

Natasha and Clint just looked at each other, what the hell just happened, they both got down to his body, they check his pulse and see if he was breathing. "Robert, Robert, Robert, Breath, please, what is it, what the hell is going on." Natasha started to shake Robert.

 

"Natasha, stop it, his lips are moving, he is trying to talk," Clint noticed that his lips were moving, after he was Hawkeye for a reason, Natasha got closer to Robert's mouth, she could barely heard the words. She got closer, "Robert, one more time please," and then her eyes shot up, her face turned a dark red, "medical will be here, we will fix this." She stood up and grabbed Clint's arm, with her pulling him they ran out of the room.

 

"Nat, what the hell is going on, where are we going?"

 

She did not say anything, they went to the hanger and got on a quinjet, she started firing up the jet. Clint looked at her, never in all the years, has he seen her like this, "Natasha, will you please stop and tell what the fuck is going on, what the hell did Hall say?" She snapped her head to stare at him, she had to get the tower, and she had to see what he, if it was true

 

Fury and Hill were screaming on the radio, about them leaving, saying that they would be in deep, deep trouble; Clint grabbed her arms, and stared at her eyes, "I will never not be on your side, you are my greatest friend, and please tell me!" Clint would go through Hell and back, to help her out

 

Natasha took a deep breath, and her skin color change back to more of the flesh color, she said five words, and that there was no way Clint could stay calm either.

 

His eyes grew wide, he pick up the comm to the bridge, "Fury, we are going to the Tower, we will be back, Make sure medical takes care of Hall."

 

Fury looked at Hill, what the hell is going on, they ran down to the quarters, when they got there, Robert was already on a stretcher with an oxygen mask and IV hooked up. "Hey what is going on?" he yelled at the nurse.

 

"Director, we received a call to come here, he was in a comatose state of mind, and he just kept repeating the same thing."

 

"Well what the hell did he say?" Fury was a tough man, not many things got to him, and this did

 

The nurse looked at Fury, "He said he wasn't driving the car."

 

Robert slowly opened his eyes, and realized he was in a patient bay, with Banner next to him reading a chart. "You know Hall, you are more injury prone than Stark." with a smirk, "So care to share, what happened."

 

Robert rubbed his face, and he went into detail about what had happened, that for some reason he had suppressed the memory, that he and his wife had switch before they got on to the turnpike. So now he realized that it wasn't accident, someone was trying to kill him.

 

Robert, "Bruce, we need to go and look at that car, Please, I am fine, we are wasting time."

 

"Well your body seems to be okay, but you are going to take it easy, I will go to talk to Fury, see if we can get someone to fly us out there. You get dressed and meet me on the Bridge."

 

"Thank you and no problem see you soon, um, Bruce?"

 

"Yes, Robert"

 

"Why are you guys helping me , I know there is threat out there, but I just joined the team, I have passed out like 4 times, tried to kill myself, basically been useless."

 

"We are having been in your shoes at some point, maybe we see ourselves in you, or maybe instead of feeling bad for yourself, you should get dressed and help us nail these people."

 

Robert just smiled, "Blunt honesty, got love it, I will be ready to go."

 

As the Quinjet landed at the tower, the two spies ran towards the elevator, they found out where the rest of the team was at. They ran into the lab where, Loki and Thor were talking to 2 black birds, Huginn and Muninn, trying to see if the Allfather would give Loki some of his magic back. Steve and Tony were talking to base commanders trying to coordinate the best plans of attacks. Tony noticed them running into the lab, "Hey, guys, what is all the excitement, I know you miss me and all."

 

"Tony, Shut up, when you got that file from Officer Adams, did it include any video at all." Natasha said trying to catch her breath.

 

Before Tony could answer,  _"Yes Agent Romanoff, there was some video of the car driving before the accident."_ Jarvis answered, " _Would you like me to bring it up."_

 

"Yes Jarvis please," The video was in color at least, started playing, the traffic was light in volume, Jarvis had identified Robert's car and had put a yellow circle around it, and as the car approached the EZ Pass lane, "Jarvis, pause now," Clint told the A.I. "okay now please zoom. He was right." At this point everyone in the room had come over to look at the screen

 

"What was he right about," Steve asked, Clint just walked over to the screen, and pointed, you would have heard a pin drop.

 

"Well this complicates things," Loki said as everyone saw the blond hair of a woman in the driver's seat, driving down the highway just a few minutes before the accident.

 

"Yes, it does, by the way, where are Bruce and Robert?" Tony asked

 

"Robert was telling us about the night of the accident, he froze because he realized he wasn't driving the car, and basically fainted." So Clint and I, called medical, and hauled ass out of there, to get over here.

 

Steve looked annoyed, "Wait a minute, one of our team is on the floor, and another is nowhere to be found. Then you both leave to come over here, leaving them in the hands of SHIELD. Who has proven time and time, that they screw things up? I mean you didn't even wait for medical to show up. What if something serious happened before medical got there, and where is Banner."

 

Clint and Natasha looked at each other, and their shoulders slouched down, they screwed up,

 

They were about offer an apology, when Jarvis alerted them to a call coming in. Tony asked Jarvis to answer it, on the video screen Robert and Bruce appeared on the screen what look like in a quinjet

 

"Hello everyone, just wanted to give you a heads up, we are headed to the car, Fury told me that my warrant has been revoked." Robert said

 

"Wait; who is flying the jet, can they be trusted." Steve inquired; you could tell there was concern in his voice

 

"Relax, icy blue, we have a very competent pilot, actually even Hulkie over here, is comfortable with the pilot, so keep us in touch if you need help with the raid tonight."

 

"Hulkie?, god you are getting as bad as Tony with your nicknames," Bruce stated while shaking his head

 

"Okay, but we want to know who you are with, whether or not we can trust them." Tony replied

 

"Stark, will you shut up, Robert and Bruce, are very good hands," Hill shot back as she walked into the camera view

 

"Commander Hill, I didn't know that you could fly a quinjet," Steve said in shock

 

"No, they let anyone fly a Helicarrier with no flying experience." Hill said in a sharp tone

 

"Yeah, dude, I am going to have go with her on that that was a pretty silly question." Robert commented to Steve, whose cheeks turned a shade of pink

 

"Oh Steve, go easy on Clint and Natasha, I would have done the same thing, I know they meant well." Robert said to the Captain.

 

"Okay, I will give them a pass." Steve answered as he looked at the two spies

 

"Well, you guys be careful let's know if you need help or anything, give us a call." Tony said back and with the screen faded black.

 

Twenty minutes later, the quinjet landed near the state police barracks, at a local airport, the agents left the plane and walked across the runway to an awaiting Trooper.

 

"Hello, Robert, how have you been? He held out his hand, Robert took it and then pulled him close to give a hug

 

"Hey John," Robert, releasing from the hug, "This is John Williams; he is in the same barracks as Adams. These are my fellow agents, Commander Maria Hill and Dr. Bruce Banner."

 

"Hello Madam," then he turn to face Bruce, "Dr. Banner, you are the Hulk," Bruce nodded nervously, "Well thank you for coming, we will do what we can to make sure this is a stress free visit." as he eyed the doctor nervously, he knew what the Hulk could do, and he did not want that."

 

"That would be nice, John, can you take us to his car, we would like to look at it, and help you guys to find out who did it." Robert thought it would be nice to ask first

 

"Um, I am going to have to check with my superior on that, I don't want to get into trouble."

 

"Sure no problem, make sure you also tell him, who is also here to look at It." as Robert nudge his head in the direction of Bruce. He was hoping that the thought, that the Hulk being here, would help make things easier.

 

Ten minutes later they arrived at the police station, Officer Williams, asked them to stay here while he went to talk to his Captain, as he turned around he almost ran right in to him. "Uhh, Captain Bears, Sir, these are the people from SHIELD to look at Adams car," Williams stated

 

"Officer, you know that we can't have anyone look at evidence, and who the hell do you think you are." The Captain, said sternly, he ran a tight ship, Adams's death, had put everyone on edge

 

"This is Agent Hall, he was a friend of Adams, Commander Hill, and Dr. Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk," Williams said nervously

 

"Banner, The Hulk, You, you were the one would destroyed Harlem almost two years ago, well you did it to stop that thing," the Captain said

 

"The one and the same, it would be shame for our time to be wasted, he doesn't like to have his time wasted, it annoys him, and when he is annoyed, well that is a step below angry." Robert remarked, as looked over at Bruce. Bruce looked at Robert, he knew what he was doing, and went along with it. So Bruce started to look piss and even made his eyes look a little green

 

The Captain, swallowed hard, having the Hulk loose would turn into a disaster, when he heard Robert try to get his attention, "So how about we look at the car, we work together, and we catch the bastards that did this," the Captain nodded his head, and gestured his arm in a direction.

 

A few hours later as all they went over the wreckage, "Hey I got something," said Hill. Robert, Bruce, and 2 state police investigators came over to see what she found, "I found it in the wheel assemble," it was a tiny piece of plastic, it was melted and definitely smelled burnt. They all looked at it, and none of them knew what it could be

 

"We'll let ask the others, maybe they would have a clue, or Tony can have Jarvis analyze it," Robert suggested it, the others nodded and Bruce called Tony,

 

"Tony, I am going to send you a picture, scan and ask the others on the team, if they have an idea. Okay thanks," Bruce took a picture of the item and emailed to Tony. A few minutes later, Bruce's phone went off, "Hello, hey Tony, Clint says it is part of a Mercury detonator switch, he has not seen one in a while, probably someone with special forces training. Thank you Clint, yeah we will check it for the usual."

 

So the lab techs, looked for fingerprints, there were none to be found, they sprayed some Luminal on it, then shine a black light on it, and it lit up a little. "Hmm, don't know if that will be enough, but if there is, we may have an answer soon." So they took the sample and started running it, Robert, Bruce, and Maria, said goodbye to the troopers, thank them for the help and left the station to go back to the quinjet.

 

As they headed back to New York, to reunite with the others. The test in the machine was done, and matches had been found, the technician running the machine, saw the result, and almost choke on a coffee she was drinking. "Captain, Captain, we have a match," she handed him the paper, and he read over it.

 

"Holy Shit, you have got to be kidding me," He picked up the phone and call the D.A. Office, "Charlie, hey this is Bears, boy do I have a story for you."


	20. The Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> machine guns, and how the hell did he do that

As the Quinjet flew back to New York, Robert was looking out the window. He was standing behind Maria Hill, admiring her. She was strong, spirited, attractive, fearless and loyal. He thought about what a relationship with her would be like. She would have to be with another agent; a normal person wouldn't understand her field. Same would probably be true for Romanoff as well; she wore a hard shell. Hell, she was more like Fort Knox, as she said "Love is for children" in her interrogation of Loki. Maria looked easy compared to her. He paused for a moment, correcting himself, "Easy as walking through a minefield," he thought to himself.

 

Then he saw the skyline of New York come into view. He still remembered the Towers that used to greet the sky. He had a photograph of them from the one time he came to New York on a school art trip. They had been leaving the city so he took the photo from the bus. The photo looked mostly okay, considering the crappy camera he'd had. He had dug up the photo years later, after the attack.

 

He remembered 9/11 vividly. On that day he had been at home with his daughter and he was supposed to tape Regis and Kelly for his first wife. They actually were supposed to be in New York City that day, they had tickets for the show, but they couldn't go because of school.

 

He had the day off from the restaurant that he used to work at. He had looked at the clock and saw that it was 9:02. In a panic, he had run over to the TV and turned it and the VCR on to record the show. Then, he saw the smoke rising from the first Tower. Before he could even finish his thought on why the first Tower had smoke coming from it, the second plane went into the second Tower.

 

The world had stopped. He had been holding his daughter and he knew the world would never be safe again. He decided, on that day, to make a difference. He joined the military and that is where it all began.

 

And now here he is. Trying to make a difference for the people he loved, for his daughter, even though he hadn't seen her in six years. The divorce was horrible, even after it was settled. The fighting never stopped. He had to make a choice. He signed his rights away, and he tried not to care.

 

"Quarter for your thoughts?" he heard from below; it was Maria.

 

"I thought it was a penny?" he said back to her.

 

"Inflation," Maria said off-handedly, which made a smile appear on Robert's mouth.

 

"Smartass," he shot back at her. He was wondering, then for some reason the thought popped in his head that maybe after all of this he would try dating again.

 

"So, your thoughts?" she asked again.

 

"Just remembering the past…How things change. How everything means nothing in the end, but yet we still believe."

 

"Hey, Aristotle, care to share in English? You sound like Bruce when he talks about physics and things normal humans don't understand."

 

Bruce looked up from some notes, confused, but then he went back to research, probably happy that he actually did a mission without becoming the Other Guy. Nothing got destroyed, no one got hurt, it was actually kind of strange. Robert walked over by Bruce and sat down heavily, within a minute, he was out like a light.

 

The next thing he felt was the Quinjet landing. He opened his eyes and cracked his neck. Bruce just looked at him. "One of these days your head is going to fly off," the doctor said jokingly. "Then you can be the new superhero: the Headless Agent."

 

"You need to work on your jokes." he said back to him, shaking his head with a small grin. He wondered what life will be like at the tower once it was all over. Hell, he wondered if he would still have a job, after all the times he has passed out. He heard the landing ramp go down. "Well, let's see what happens tonight."

 

As the three of them walked into the tower, Robert halted as he saw a jet taking off from one of the airports. He watched it fly higher into the sunset sky. He felt a nudge on his arm and saw it was Maria, "Hey, I am there with you on that thought." Robert nodded and followed her in.

 

They entered the common area where the rest of the team was, along with Director Fury. "Well, now that we are all together again, I have received reports from the military that they are ready to go. S.H.I.E.L.D. teams, with support from local SWATs are in place at the remaining airports." Fury looked around at the Avengers, "Now for the part you're not going to like. We are going to split you up into groups to help cover some special areas. Clint and Natasha, find Stones and Michaels, and conduct surveillance on them. Thor and Stark, you will head to White Sands. There is a special missile that will launch and has a 250 million dollar spy satellite in it. Protect it at all cost. Steve, Loki, and Bruce, you will stay local and help out New York."

 

"I thought sand was a yellow color? How is this sand white then?" Thor asked. Tony just started to shake his head, knowing this was the beginning of a whole new bunch of questions.

 

"Director, why are Bruce and Loki going with me? I mean I know Hulk listens to me, but…"

 

"That's right, and if Loki goes rogue on you, the Hulk can smash him around a little."

 

Loki looked at the director with disdain. "Oh don't give me that look. You say that you are reformed? Then start proving me wrong."

 

Loki jerked back; he was not expecting that answer from the director. However, Loki was always up for a challenge.

 

"Very well then." Here was a chance to do well; to start right.

 

"Agent Hall, I know you want to be a part of this, but until we get your condition under control, you are to remain here and rest. By no means are you to be on this mission. If I find out that you attempted to sneak out, I will arrest, fire, and kick your ass, do I make myself clear."

 

Robert was mad, oh he was fucking mad, but then he took a deep breath releasing it slowly. "Yes Director."

 

Fury was surprised, along with most of the team. He had expected Robert to fight back, but Hill wasn't, she knew Robert would not disobey a direct order unless his life was threatened. It was one of the reasons she liked him as an agent.

 

"I wish good luck to you all. If you need help or anything that I can do to assist, let me know. I am going to go to the training room and punch something." and with that Robert left the room.

 

When the doors of the elevator closed, he punched the wall, letting off a bit of steam. He asked Jarvis to take it down a few floors to the gun range. He walked over and started right off emptying three clips. It made him feel a little better.

 

"You know, walking away quietly isn't your style."

 

He turned to see Romanoff standing there, and he smiled wanly. "A habit from my time in the military. When I get a direct order from someone who I respect, I tend to listen, even if I disagree with it."

 

"I do remember that when I read your file. If it makes you feel any better, I overheard Bruce and Tony talking about how after this mission they are going to start experimenting to see if they can find better medication for you."

 

"Well, that is nice of them, but that doesn't help me now." Robert said in self-directed disgust. He felt like he was letting the team down, and it didn't sit well with him. He started to turn his head from her when her hand on his cheek stopped him. She moved to stand in front of him, her emerald eyes staring at him. Her red lips moved to his cheek and gave him a gentle peck. She stepped away from him and smiled as she started to walk towards the door.

 

"Not to be rude, but what was that for?" Robert asked, feeling calmer. He placed his hand on the cheek to feel the moisture on it.

 

"You got yelled at enough today, so that is a different attitude adjuster," she answered as she turned to the door. "And also a reminder that you are stuck with us, no matter what S.H.I.E.L.D. decides." With that final sentiment, Robert was all alone in the room, but he knew in spirit he was not.

 

He headed to his apartment, laid himself on his bed, and turned on the TV, finding that they were playing "The Crow." It was a favorite of his, so he watched the movie to take his mind off things a bit.

 

Afterwards, he went into the kitchen and got a frozen meal for dinner. He kept checking his phone, making sure it was charged and that his gun was ready, in case he got a call to come help.

 

In the F.B.I. building in Washington D.C., S.S.A. Stones' cell phone rang. He recognized the number and scowled, 'Now what the hell?' "Yes, yes, I heard what happened in Vietnam….Well I can't control the weather…. What?! The armed forces know - Shit, really!? Well that is good. So the building will be empty, Hall is not allowed to go…. Okay well at least we can take him out. Deploy the teams and our local master to take off the security." He hung up the phone and smiled, 'Well at least Hall will be dead and I will be in a non-extradition country by tomorrow.' He turned back to his computer and started to delete files.

 

"Robert, WAKE UP!" Robert's eyes shot open, and he quickly looked around. He was still in his bed. He got up and looked at his phone, finding that it was 1 AM in the morning. By now, the attacks were under way. He rubbed his eyes and walked out into his kitchen, feeling like he was in a daze. As he walked to the kitchen he said, "Hi" to the woman that was sitting watching TV, and kept walking to the fridge. 'WAIT!' his brain yelled, he turned around and pointed, at her, "What?...How?... When?… Why!?"

 

She just took a sip of her drink, "Well, good morning too you to, Robert. I was wondering when you would wake up." It was Maria Hill. What the Hell was she doing here? Robert just stood there with his mouth open staring at her, "The reason I am here is to make sure you are okay. Besides, I volunteered for the job."

 

"Wait, who decided I needed a babysitter?" Robert protested.

 

"Well, maybe if you would stop fainting and passing out, you wouldn't need one. Besides I thought you would like some company. Guess I was wrong." Maria said as she made to get up.

 

"Wait. I'm sorry for being an unappreciative, selfish, jackass caveman. I am glad that you are here and I would like it if you would please stay," heapologized, rubbing his gritty eyes tiredly.

 

"Wow, you learn quickly," she commented with a grin on her face.

 

"Remember, I was married twice. I know the rules. I wake up every morning and the first words out of my mouth are, 'I am sorry dear for being an idiot,'" he said laughing.

 

"Finally, a man that gets it," she joked, laughing and clapping her hands cheerfully. The entire, as she refocused on him, they stared at each other for a few moments. "You know, it has been a long time. Most men are scared of me, or they think I'm dating Fury."

 

"I can understand where they would get that thought, but they are wrong for assuming that. You are a beautiful, strong, passionate woman." As he complimented her, his hand touched hers. He felt electricity flow through him at the touch. Their faces drew closer to one another, and their lips locked. They stayed in that moment for a little while, and the only thought running through his mind being, 'Her lips are so soft.' And then, it suddenly went pitch black.

 

"Nice way to set the mood there, Jarvis." Robert stated in resignation. He was waiting for a witty response, but it never came. 'That's not right. Why was there no response?' He pulled back from Maria, who was just as suspicious as he was.

 

"Jarvis are you there? Jarvis?" Robert asked again, "Fuck, this can't be good."

 

Unbeknownst to them and anyone else in the tower, a helicopter with a six man team landed at the top. Another team landed on the street andentered the building with no resistance. They made their way through the building, heading for the top.

 

In a room across the city, a young man looked very pleased. He had disabled Jarvis and the tower's power supply; even the back-up generators had been disabled. As long as Stark did not get near the tower, Jarvis would stay offline. Since he was such an overachiever, he disabled thesurrounding cell phone towers, rendering cell phones useless.

 

In Washington D.C., the two assassins were watching Agent Stones' house, talking about past missions to pass the time. When both of their phones went off, it was a different tone for alerts. Clint looked at her, "Okay? That's a separate security camera I had set up on the launch pad at the tower."He opened the file and saw the pictures "Shit, we need to get back to the tower now!"

 

Natasha looked at him, "Wait, you did the top of the tower, and I did the bottom of tower and mine went off." She opened her file. "You have got to be fucking kidding me! I have a team of six on the bottom."

 

Clint looked at her, "Fuck, I have a team of six on the top, with automatics and silencers." Natasha nodded as well. "We better let everyone 's left in the tower? We need to find out quickly." As they raced to the Quinjet, Natasha was trying to contact Stark and Rogers.

 

"Jarvis answer me please. Shit this is not good. Our phones won't work, and I can't get a signal or connection to contact the others. Dammit." Maria was royally pissed; she hated the fact that they were practically sitting ducks. "I only have one extra clip on me, dammit. Why the hell aren't you taking this seriously?" She snapped at Robert, who looked like he was going to fall asleep sitting up.

 

"What me, worry? Why?" He went into his bedroom and grabbed a bag before returning. He set it on the table, unzipping it. "Hold out your hands please." Maria looked him puzzled but did as instructed by him. She felt something be placed on her hands.

 

"Okay, those are Armasight Vega Night Vision Goggles. They're not the best, but they'll do." She placed the goggles around her head, and turned them on. When she looked at Robert he was wearing a same pair of goggles. Being able to see clearly, he handed her an AK-47 while also grabbing himself a machine gun.

 

"There is a laser mount on the bottom. Here are four clips, steel core. Do you know who else is in the tower besides us?"

 

"Jane and Pepper are still here. Why the hell do you have all this stuff?"

 

"Well like duh, I was a Boy Scout 'Always be prepared.' Now let's go. God knows how many there are comings at us."

 

Natasha finally got a hold of Stark and found out the missile launched without a hitch. Thor and Tony were flying back as fast as possible and that Pepper, Jane, Maria and Hall were the only people in the tower. Clint and Natasha were going at Mach 2, damaged windows be damned. They didn't care about any of that; all they cared about was their friends and hoping they would reach the tower in time.

 

Tony was pissed as hell. How dare someone take out Jarvis and threaten Pepper. He was going top speed at over Mach 2, with Thor flying beside him. Thor's face was hard; he needed to make sure his friends and Jane were safe. By Odin's beard, he would be pissed if they weren't.

 

Robert and Maria found Jane wandering the halls. She stayed close behind them while they went up the stairs to get to Pepper before anyone else did. They had to find her.

 

Jane was clearly nervous, but she had faith in Robert and Maria. She was certain they'd do everything in their power to keep them all safe. Plus, she knew the other Avengers would be back soon; that Thor would be back soon.

 

They were almost to Pepper's bedroom when they were spotted. "Run!" was all Robert said, and they bolted for the door. Maria pushed Jane hurriedly along when the door opened and Pepper saw them all dashing towards her. She jumped back when they all burst inside. Robert whirledaround when they were all inside to check carefully around the edge of the frame.

 

He saw two intruders come close to the door. He raised his gun carefully and the sight came on. The attackers saw the red dot travelling over them and turned to duck over behind the corner but it was too late.

 

Robert squeezed the trigger, bracing for the recoil and swept it left to right. The bullets found their targets and drilled right into them. They dropped and hit the floor with shouts of pain.

 

Robert pulled back and slammed the door closed and thank god it was a thick oak with metal backing. "I dropped two." He turned to Pepper, hisface hard. "Do you have a porcelain bathtub?" She nodded yes. He turned his attention back to the door, hearing nothing. He slowly opened the door to check the halls. Empty; good enough for now.

 

"Okay good. You and Jane get in the tub, and we lay cover fire." Robert turned to look at the others, but they weren't where he left them. Robert quickly looked around but could not find them, causing panic to set in.

 

"Over here, jackass." Robert turned to his right and saw that they were in a closet. He sighed in exasperation running over to them.

 

"What are you doing, picking out your shoes?" Then Robert noticed Pepper stand up with an FN 7.62 Machine gun and night vision goggles. He snorted. "Well okay then Sarah Connor."

 

Pepper looked at him with a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Sarah Connor was a wussy, and Ripley is my bitch. I have been with Stark industry all this time. I know something about weapons; and a couple more about guns. Here are some vests." They came out of the closet. Jane was in the bathroom in the tub, looking more than a little shaken and probably wishing that Thor was with them.

 

"How strong is that door?" Robert asked, taking a vest and putting it on quickly.

 

"It's pretty much bulletproof. It could probably withstand a grenade; maybe two."

 

"Okay I need a few minutes. Cover me." Pepper and Maria looked at him questioningly. "Trust me." With that, Robert laid on the bed and closed his eyes, taking deep, even breaths.

 

At the airports, Loki was at JFK while Steve was at LaGuardia. Bruce had stayed back in case they needed him. They had to reassure the twitchy officers that Loki would not hurt them. It took some convincing but once the officers knew the Hulk was with them, in case Loki went out of control, they felt better.

 

The both of them had completed their objectives and were going to meet up to go from there. Loki felt good; excited even. He had saved the officers' lives when he put a seal around a bomb that one the officers had triggered. He knew that people still hated him and would do so for a long time, but the small gratitude he got from the officer made him feel more confident to do more. He could still only do little things, but then again, it was the little things that mattered.

 

He just got into the room with Bruce and Steve, with some military personnel discussing the next step, when Loki became as still as a statue, hisbreath coming in short gasps. "Loki? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Steve asked him, making to reach for his shoulder when Loki's eyes rolled into his skull and he started to fall backwards.

 

Bruce and the SWAT officer ran to catch him, which they did at the last second. A minute or two, later Loki started with a gasp and shook his head. He looked up and saw his teammates looking over him worriedly.

 

"We need to get back to the tower now, and get in touch with the others. The tower is being attacked. Robert, Maria, Pepper and Jane are holed upin Tony's bedroom. There are at least seven people, maybe more, with machine guns and night vision." Loki said in a hurry as he got off the ground.

 

The others looked at each other in surprise before their expressions darkened.

 

One of the Army Captains said, "Come with me. A chopper is going to be the fastest way back. Sergeant, take some men and go with them."

 

"Loki, how do you know all this?" Bruce asked as they started to run towards the helicopter that was preparing to take off.

 

"Robert told me. No, I don't know how but he got into my head and explained everything. Jarvis is down, cell phones and computers don't work. He has already killed two, but there are more scouring around the tower." Loki was severely confused; how the fuck did Robert get into his mind?


	21. He did What!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> attack, Coma, forgiveness

 

Robert felt like he was falling down a never-ending tunnel. Sometimes, there would be color, but it was mostly black. It felt like he’d been falling for an eon or two, but in reality, it was only a few minutes. He felt comfortable. He recognized the thoughts as his own, and he knew he was back in his body. His eyes opened, and found Maria and Pepper guarding the door.

  
  
"Well, did you have a nice fucking nap, before we die?!" Maria yelled at him.

  
"Well, if it would make you feel any better, I told Loki what’s going on. The others should know soon - we just have to hold them until help gets here."

  
"How the hell did you get-" Boom! A grenade went off, cutting off Pepper. The door held, but the wall around it was cracking. "Shit, any more of those and the doors are gonna’ break!" Pepper yelled.

  
Jane was in the bathtub, praying to God, Thor, anyone that she could think of. Tears were falling from her eyes; she didn’t want to die. She wanted to see Thor one last time, to hold him, to kiss-    
  


 

BOOM!

 

The one door exploded off its hinges. Robert was thankful that they’d had time to move away from it before it exploded. They took positions in blind spots and knew it was only a matter of time. But God be damned if they went down without a fight.

 

* * *

  
  
The skyline of New York came into view. Clint pointed out the streak of red and gold flying across the sky. "Tony, is that you? Is Blondie with you?"

  
"Yeah, Point Break is with me, and we’re ready to fuck some shit up. Any word on Icy Blue, Mean Green, and Rock Star?"

  
"No, we haven't been able to get a hold of them," Clint responded.

  
"Tony, will you stop with the nicknames for once?" Steve questioned in exasperation.

  
"Capsicle, how did you guys find out what is going on?"

  
"Well, you aren't going to believe this, but Robert somehow got into Loki's mind and told him."

  
There was radio silence for a few moments, and then, "SAY the FUCK WHAT?!" screamed Clint. "What do you mean ‘he got into Loki's mind?’ What, he is a fucking alien too?!"

  
"Clint, calm down. I'm pretty sure we all want to know what the hell is going on too, but right now, we need to focus on the tower. Our friends are in there," Steve ordered on the radio, attempting to calm the situation.

  
There were the random bursts of the machine guns coming from the bedroom and the hallway. Maria got two that rushed in the bedroom. Pepper got one that ran in to help the two Maria had shot.

  
Robert was laying cover fire and keeping watch over the entrance to the bathroom. So long as he was around, no one was getting to Jane, but he’d just put in his third clip. "Reload!" Maria yelled out as she put in her third clip. Ammo was getting tight, and Robert was beginning to wonder where the Avengers were.

  
Suddenly, Robert heard sounds that could make time stop: clink, clink, clink. "Grenades!" Robert, Maria, and Pepper dove and got as low as they could.

* * *

 

 

They saw an explosion pour out of one of the bedroom windows. Their stomachs sunk and the anger in all of them increased. Someone will pay very dearly for this

* * *

  
  
"Robert, Maria, are you okay?" Pepper yelled. She had dove into the closet. She was coughing a lung up thanks to the explosion. When she came out, some of the smoke had cleared away. It made it possible for her to see Robert lying face down, not moving. She couldn't find Maria.

  
She raised her gun towards the door; she was pissed. "Maria, where the fuck are you?" she yelled. Anger and worry began to bleed through her veins. Who the fuck were these people? How dare they come to her home and attack her friends? How did they take out Jarvis? God, where was Tony?

 

"Get her," she heard two strangers say. As the two came into the bedroom, Pepper pulled the trigger. The gun came alive and one of the pair dropped, but then the second one kept coming. Pepper's clip ran out, and she was so focused that she didn't realize it.

  
Suddenly, from the bathroom, came the haunting sound of an AK going off. It was Maria. She had gotten to the bathroom in time before the grenade exploded. She was injured. Her left arm had taken some shrapnel, but she could still shoot. She nailed the second bastard and yelled at Pepper to reload, which she did.

  
Jarvis was fucking pissed. If there was a way or time for a computer to be mad, it was now. Jarvis was coming back online inside the tower, his cameras desperately searching for his family. He saw Pepper first; she was safe. Maria was injured, but the scans showed no life threatening wounds. Jane was safe and unharmed. That left Robert. _'Where was Robert? None of the cameras picked up his body. Where was he? Jarvis noticed Pepper running to the other side of the room. Why was she running to there? What was that on the groun-… No!'_ Jarvis' cameras saw Robert as the smoke cleared.

  
Pepper ran over to Robert, picking up his gun. She lifted his head, touching his neck to try and find a pulse. "Come on, Robert, come on. Don't die on me. Wait… Okay, good! Maria, Robert is bad. He has a pulse, but it's slow!" Maria made her way to see if she could help.

  
"Pepper, tell Loki…" Robert whispered.

  
"It's okay. Save your strength. The team will be here any second."

  
"Please…. Please tell Loki…. Come closer, please." Pepper got near his mouth. "Tell Loki that he’s on the right path. I …"

* * *

  
  
Another group of attackers approached the bedroom with extreme caution. They were going to kill these fuckers.

  
Jarvis was furious as he saw the group approaching. "Sir, where are you? Robert is unconscious, Maria is injured, and Pepper and Jane are still in the bedroom. Sir. I am tracking your path. Take the path to the right, and you will make contact with the enemy."

  
Tony pointed to Thor to adjust their path. They were almost at the tower. Just a few seconds more…

  
As the group entered the bedroom, they raised their weapons to fire. They saw the one target to the right and another dead ahead. They had their sites on the targets as they got closer. Suddenly, a booming voice came from nowhere and confused the attackers.

  
A voice rang out through the Tower. " _Maria, Pepper, and - Behind you! Close your eyes!"_

  
Pepper and Maria closed their eyes as hard as they could. They knew what was going to happen.

  
In an instant, the attackers could only see white, because they were still wearing their night vision goggles. The attackers were blinded as Thor and Iron Man came in through the wall and took out the group quickly.

  
The troops wear able to remove their goggles in time, in the hallway were taking aim at the people in the bedroom. They were just about to fire, when suddenly a demi-god appeared in front of them. Loki stabbed one through the head and picked up another, snapping his neck and throwing him against the wall. The others that wanted to live started to run for the top of tower. They almost made it to their helicopter, but there was a man in blue and a woman in black who looked like they were possessed by the demons of hell blocking the exit to roof.

  
"My Lady, you are safe?" Jane heard those words as she hid in the bathtub. She surely thought that she was going to die. She looked up and saw him as he lifted her out. She threw her arms around him, as if to never let go.

  
Tony turned to see Maria and his love next to Robert. "Pepper, thank God you're alive." Pepper gave him a crushing hug. "Robert is hurt pretty bad. Where’s Bruce?"  
  
Bruce came running into the room with Loki, Steve, and Natasha following at his heels. He saw Maria and started to head in her direction, but she waved him off and pointed at their fallen member.  
  
"Don't worry about me. Robert needs help."  
  
Bruce turned to look at him, just as Tony and Thor rolled him over to him lay on his back. He slowly rolled over in what felt like slow motion. At first, he looked okay, but then a red dot appeared in the middle of his shirt, beginning to spread across his chest; soon, blood was everywhere. "Get pressure on him, now!" Bruce ordered.  
  
Loki ran over to him. "Robert, are you okay? Speak to me, you damned mortal! Why are you all so fragile?"  He didn't know why, but his emotions were getting the better of him, which shocked him greatly. "Robert…" A tear formed in his green eye.

  
Bruce got down and looked Robert over to find his injuries. Bruce couldn't find any on the surface, so he lifted up Robert's shirt. There were no cuts, marks, no deep marks of blood coming out. What the fuck? Why did he have so much blood on him but no injury? Then, he heard Tony speak.

  
"That smart son of a bitch." Bruce looked at Tony and saw him pointing at one of the attackers that was lying on the floor, dead. "He used that guy as a shield. The force of the blast knocked him out, I’ll bet." The front of the attacker's body was ripped to shreds from the grenades. Some of the shrapnel went through, causing the blood to go all over Robert.

  
"Let's get him to Med Bay with everyone else," Bruce commanded. Tony and Thor lifted him up. Tony then helped position Robert better in Thor's arms, and with a quickened pace, he went to the medical room.

  
Clint came running in, saw the carnage, and just shook his head. Yes, Hill and Hall had military training, so there was no shock or surprise there. But add Pepper to the mix, and it was amazing that they weren't dead. Then, he noticed one of the attackers moving, so Clint ran over to him.

  
"Alright, buddy, you're going to tell me who gave the order," Clint threatened, getting in the man's face. "Tell us, or I will make sure that you will feel pain like you have never felt before."

  
The man saw the anger in his eyes, and immediately caved. "Stones. It was Stones. He said it would be an easy kill."

  
Tony came over and lifted him up with anger in his voice. "You dare come into my home, threaten my friends, hurt my family, the woman I love, and think you can get away with it? Miss Romanoff, please take care of this garbage."

  
"With pleasure. I am sure S.H.I.E.L.D. would love to see what information we can pull out of him."  
  


 

* * *

Everything was consumed by darkness, but there was light… a small dot of light…. He needed that light. So, Robert walked towards it. As he got closer to it, it got bigger and bigger. As he stepped towards it, he saw the visions, all focused on the Avengers. Tony marrying Pepper, Clint sleeping a complete night, Natasha holding a baby she’d just saved, Thor and Loki hugging each other, Banner and Hulk seeing each other and agreeing to a peace between the two, Steve falling in love.

  
Robert saw these visions and he knew he could help them achieve these goals. But, did they want him to stay? Was he wanted, or should he give up and maybe, just maybe, rejoin his family? But what of his new family? Didn't they have a right to him as well? They needed him too. He came closer to the light and was able to look down at the bed.

  
They all were around his bed in a semi-circular shape. Maria's arm was in a cast. Pepper had some band aids on her, as did Jane. Tony was next to Robert on his left, holding his hand. Then, there were Loki, Clint, Bruce, and Fury, who were looking at his medical chart at the end of the bed. Then, there was Maria, Steve, and Natasha, who was holding his right hand. Pepper was standing behind Tony, trying to comfort him. Jane was behind Loki, also offering a comforting hand to the God of Mischief. Thor had gone to Asgard to try and get Frigga, one of the best healers in the nine realms.

  
Loki had wanted to go back to Asgard and demand that Odin give him all of his magic back or get their Mother, but Thor had said it would be better if he went. He was probably right.

  
Anyone could see that they all had red eyes. The operation had been a success; not a single plane had gone down, and the terrorist attack had been planned to begin in two days. The media got wind of it and was praising the government and military for saving thousands of lives. All the terrorists were either dead or captured, and the American intelligence agencies were interrogating all of them. Oh, and for the hacker that had attacked Jarvis, Jarvis had gotten the last laugh; he had tracked the signal back, and had made sure that he’d gotten locked in an elevator when he’d tried to escape the F.B.I..

  
But, in the end, it hadn’t mattered to them, because of one person. This person who somehow was never supposed to be a factor, was never supposed to be an Avenger. He was the one who’d been brought to them, the one Jarvis had found, the one who’d uncovered the plot. He was laid still, not moving, and barely breathing, in his bed. In each mind of the Avengers, they were praying, 'Please do not be another Phil. Please come back to us.'

  
Loki was crying. He didn’t understand why this mortal was affecting him so much. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and found it was Pepper. "Loki… Before Robert passed out, he told me to tell you something. He said that you’re on the right path."

  
Loki looked like he was about to lose it. "Did he say anything else?"

  
She nodded her head. "Yes, he did, though it was hard to hear."  
  


Loki couldn't believe it. Who was this mortal? How did he know? "What was it? Please tell me."  


Just then, Jarvis came to life. _"Sir, I hate to interrupt, but Thor has returned with Frigga and Eir."_   


Thor, Frigga, and Eir entered the room. Bruce immediately explained the situation regarding Robert to the Queen.  


"So, this is the man that has brought my sons back together? The one who went inside your mind to cry for help, and you listened?" Loki just nodded his head. He turned back to Pepper. "What did he say? Please tell me."  


Pepper took a deep breath and the tears started to fall from her eyes. She took in another breath to steady herself. She then kneeled in front of him to look him in the eyes.  


She said, "He forgives you."   


Author's Notes  


The story is almost complete. Thank you to all for your reviews!  
  
Please leave reviews!  
  
  
  



	22. Trust Take Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, thor says it, an explanation

On 6/5/15, we lost a member of our family, Buddy, an 11 year old Chocolate Labrador, who was the greatest dog ever, and full of love. You will be dearly missed.

 

 

Loki lost it; he couldn't handle it. How could this person get to him so much? He started crying again. Jane and Pepper tried to soothe him by placing a comforting hand on his shoulders.  
  
Frigga looked at Bruce in concern. "So if he has no life threatening conditions, why does he not wake up?" Frigga was very interested in this man, seeing as he’d seemed to help her sons take the first step down the road to healing their relationship.  
  
"Well, a lot about the human mind is still unknown. We don’t understand a ton of stuff, still," Bruce commented. "I wish I knew the answer, but nothing we’ve tried so far will wake him up."  
  
"We have brought one of our healing potions with us. Is there a way for him to drink it?"  
  
"Dr. Banner, I know the properties of the potion. You probably can add it to the saline bag," Loki replied. He had an extremely good knowledge of potions; after all, he was taught by his mother.  
  
"Thank you, Loki," Bruce said to him. It was hard for Bruce to keep his mind clear, primarily because 'the other guy' wanted out. He wanted to smash the people that had hurt his friend, but Robert needed Bruce right now, not Hulk. 'Soon, as soon as we find them, they’re yours,' he mentally said to the Hulk. That seemed to quiet him down for a bit.  
  
Bruce took the potion and added to the saline mixture. "Okay, I guess now all we can do is wait(...) Look, I know that we all want to be here," Bruce said to everyone, "but I’m sure Robert would want us to spend our time tracking down the people responsible and take care of ourselves rather than sit here around his bed all day."  
  
Steve got up, nodding that he agreed. "Bruce is right. Let's get cleaned up and eat. Then we can make a plan."  
  
"I've already got a plan. I'm gonna’ fly down to D.C. and I'm gonna’ beat those two traitors into next week until they talk. If you want to come along, just raise your hand," Tony said as he stood up.  
  
"That won't be necessary, Tony. S.H.I.E.L.D. has handled that part quite well," Fury said.  
  
"Oh really, how well?" Tony snarked back at him. "And what, in as much detail as possible, was done to them? Did your agents take them out to lunch?"  
  
"On the night of the raids, we caught them before they got on to the jets that would have taken them to countries that have no government relations with us. They were arrested and then hauled back to the Helicarrier. They've been sitting and are still currently sitting in a cell on the Helicarrier. They're just waiting for you all to show up and 'talk' to them," Fury replied with an eyebrow raised. "Just give us any info please."  
  
"Okay, you got me. That's actually very impressive," Tony stated in defeat but with a hint of admiration in his tone.  
  
"Now, Dr. Banner, please let me know of any changes. As always, if you need help, let us know, and I’ll have someone sent here ASAP."  
  
"Thank you, Fury. I will definitely let you know if I need help," Banner said back to him.  
  
"Well then," Steve spoke again. "Let's get ourselves cleaned up, fed, and rested. After that we can probably take shifts so that someone is here with Hall at all times." The Avengers complied easily with their leader's commands. As they left, they each touched Robert comfortingly (even Fury and Hill joined in) before continuing on to refresh themselves.

* * *

  
Thor and Jane were eating a quick meal of soup and grilled cheese. They had enjoyed a hot shower together before making their meal; it was so rare that they could be alone together, let alone together at all. "Would you be like Hall?" Jane asked Thor. He lifted his head and stared at her in confusion.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"If something were to happen to me, would you still miss me through the years?" Jane asked. "Like the way he misses his family? It's sad, but I’m happy he had that kind of love. I mean, your people live so long, so sometimes I wonder how long you’d mourn… Would you miss me for very long?"  
  
Thor almost choked on his food. "My Lady, of course! I can't imagine the thought of not having you in my life. I must erase this doubt from your mind." And with that he picked her up and carried her into  the bedroom.   
  
"Thor, I know you care about me," Jane said while she held him. “I didn’t mean that I feel unloved, I just… Sometimes-” Thor shook his head to interrupt her doubts.  
  
"No, I do care greatly for you; even above my own life. I love you. I could have lost you today," Thor said as he lightly set her on the bed. "As a man that loves, it is time I show it."  
  
Later that night, they were wrapped in each other's arms under the covers. Jane and Thor both were dreaming that they were on Asgard, walking by the palace, where they were talking of being together. "Thor, I don't know. We were able to dream together, but I wish it would never end."  
  
"Yes, Lady Jane. My brother is the master of magic, but I do have some talents. Yes, everything is magical here, the lake, the land, the air, and…" then Thor stopped.  
  
"Thor, what’s wrong," Jane asked as she moved in front of her lover.  
  
"Why is Hall in our dream? He is leaning up against that tree and how?"  
  
"Thor, you must be mistak-" Jane’s breath left her as she turned around, and sure enough there was Robert, leaning up against a tree, eating an apple.  
  
As they walked over to him, Robert looked up and smiled. "Thor, Jane. I hope I can visit Asgard one day, because these apples are incredible. Okay, well, I hate to break up your Hallmark Moment, but I need your help."  
  
They just stood there, so Robert took that as his invitation to continue, "Many, many years ago, there was a fight between Thanos and Astaroth*. Well, Thanos won and killed Astaroth. Astaroth never went to Heaven, Hell, or Valhalla, Hel, or whatever terms you wish to speak of. What I mean to say is that his spirit has been roaming around, wanting revenge."  
  
"Yes, I have heard of this battle in legend, but what does this have to do with helping you?” Thor asked in concern, quite frankly looking disturbed.  
  
"I am a medium, or a seer. That is how I was able to get with your brother's mind to call for help. It’s also how the first night when Banner was upset I was able to talk to the Hulk and help calm him down. Anyways, this Astaroth guy has tasked me with a trial."  
  
"Well okay, I have questions for you, why did you keep this from the team? I mean, you kept the part about working with the President secret too. Why are you hiding so much from us?” Jane demanded.   
  
"Okay, I’m sorry for that, but what am I supposed to say on the first day of meeting them? 'Hi, Avengers, my name is Robert Hall, I’m your new caseworker. Also, I’m on a mission from the White House, and I’m a medium that can go into people's minds?'" Robert stated back, "I’m sure that would float like a lead balloon in the ocean."  
  
"Okay, you got me there. That does sound stupid and nuts," Jane agreed with Robert. “Even so, you could’ve said something before now.”  
  
"I am still confused. What help can we offer for this trial?" Thor questioned.  
  
"Oh, nothing too big. I just need your help to convince all the Avengers, Pepper, Fury, and Maria to allow me to go into their minds so that I can help them make peace with their nightmares. Oh, and I have only four days. If I fail, I will never wake up again. If I succeed, the demon will leave me alone forever."  
  
"Oh fuck," Thor said. Jane did a double take, staring at her alien boyfriend in complete shock.  
  
Robert started laughing, "Thor, my friend, that's the perfect response for this situation. You’ve been learning. I'm proud of you."  
  
"We’ll see what we can do. I am sure you know that there could be resistance from your team," Thor replied.  
  
"Here's the deal: if anyone agrees to thisv they need to go to sleep or meditate or whatever, and then I can help them. I would prefer if we can do this quickly as possible. God knows how long it may take," Robert answered.

 

 

The both of them just stared at Robert for a moment, mouths agape.

 

"What, did you honestly think it would be easy? Where is the fun in that?" Robert said with a smile. He then approached them to give each a hug, which they accepted.  
  
And with that the dream was over. Thor and Jane both woke up in the bed. They looked at each other for a moment and then said to the ceiling, "Jarvis! Avengers Assemble!"

* * *

  
  
"You have got to be fucking kidding me here. Are we on Candid camera or what?" Clint practically yelled. "Who is this guy?! Why should we trust him? Does anyone trust him?"   
  
"Clint, maybe you should take it down a notch and just breathe," Steve commented, trying to soothe his agitated teammate.  
  
"No, I’m tired of everyone being too accepting of this guy and no one explaining anything. Why am I the only one who isn’t happy being confused and ignorant of what’s really going on?! If we accept this at face value, we're probably going to end up walking into a fucking trap."  
  
"Steve, I want to help Robert too, but you can't ignore Clint. He does have a valid point. At this point, we hardly know this guy," Tony said. "We shouldn't rush to judgment on this."  
  
"Who are you, and where is the real Tony Stark?" Steve questioned. "You actually used the voice of reason before a battle."  
  
"Ha-Ha, funny one, Capsicle. I guess you’re rubbing off on me. Thor or Loki, what do you know of this battle, legend, fairy tale, bumper sticker?" Tony asked.  
  
"Many years ago, after Thanos was exiled from Titan for his forbidden relationship with Mistress Death, he continued his practice of the dark arts, growing in power and strength. Many demons did not like Thanos spending so much time with Death, and voiced their opinions. One of them was Astaroth, a demon of the First Hierarchy. Being a demon of inquisitors and accusers, he used his power over others to question Mistress and Thanos," Loki commented. Everyone's attention was on Loki, which pleased the trickster very much.  
  
"This greatly offended Thanos, so he attacked Astaroth when his back was turned and killed him quickly. Thanos absorbed his power, and made him an example to others. While it pleased Mistress Death that Thanos defended her, she also felt pity for Astaroth, so she did not accept Thanos. Even so, Astaroth was a demon and could not go to Valhalla. He was left to roam the universe, looking for a way to get revenge or peace," Loki finished and then sat back down. "That is all I know of."

 

  
"Wow, Thanos makes Hitler and Stalin look like the choir boys," Tony said, noticing the glares from Natasha and Steve. "Seriously? You two are ticked off by that? Okay fine, sorry about the poor choice of references." Tony put up his hands in a show of surrender.

  
"Okay, so now we know about Thanos, but how does a spirit of a demon find Robert? And if Robert is a Christian, why did he make a deal with a demon in the first place?" Pepper asked.  
  
"Yeah well, only one person knows about that and that’s Robert, and he’s currently unavailable for comment. Unless someone is going to test the theory, which very well may be a suicide mission?" Clint offered skeptically.

  
"Does anyone here actually trust him that much?" Jane asked. "I would go, but I don't have nightmares, so I don't want to waste time."  
  
"You actually trust him? What has he done?" Clint remarked.  
  
Jane's face turned bright red. "He protected me from twelve people that would have killed me. If that isn’t enough to earn some trust, what would it take?"  
  
Clint had no response. Banner got up and headed for the elevator.  
  
"Dr. Banner, where are you going?" Steve asked.  
  
"I’m going to go meditate and see if I can make contact, while you morons have this high school debate. A member of our team’s life is in danger. We help our own," Banner said turning around so he can face everyone. “All of us, all of us were upset just a short time ago when Robert was downed. I don’t know why everyone is playing ‘take-backs’ now.”  
  
"I just don't know if he can be trusted. He keeps hiding junk, and it’s fucking suspicious," Clint muttered. He still wasn't over Loki using mind control on him, and so the thought of a person in his head made him defensive.  
  
"Well the other guy trusts him. He keeps telling me 'go help friend'. You’re all always telling me that the Hulk can be trusted, well I am,” Bruce said, crossing his arms as if to say ‘so there’.  
  
"How do we know he’s not a spy? Like for HYDRA or some other organization?" Clint defended, but he was sure everyone knew at this point that he was only saying these things because he didn’t want somebody to invade his mind, even one of his allies.  
  
The elevator opened up, and Fury, Maria, and Natasha walked out it. Fury stood by Banner, while Maria and Natasha sat down. "Natasha got Maria and me up to speed on what is going on. We found a file, and it was uploaded to Jarvis," Fury said.  
  
"Jarvis, if you would, please," Tony asked.  
  
"Of course, Sir. It is appearing on the screen now," Jarvis replied.  
  
The information came up, and everyone read through it in silence, letting their minds mull over what they were reading.  
  
"I don't believe it... The occult, white magic, tarot cards, mind melds. Is this all for real? Where was all this stuff?" Natasha wondered. "Why is he able to do all of this?"

  
  
"A simple clerical error; it was never entered into his file. It was stored away at our facility where we keep back up records. As to why, I can't answer that. All I can tell you is that as far as we know, he is 100% American."  
  
"Enough of this talk! I’m going as well. If the Beast trusts him, then so do I," Loki spoke. "You all forget, he was here for almost week, and he did nothing, nothing at all. If he had wanted to take us out, he would have done so already. If not, then he realized that he had no chance against us. Either way, I see no real threat."

  
  



	23. This is my Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stitch, demon

As Bruce and Loki got out of the elevator, they headed towards Bruce's apartment. "So do you know how to make contact with him?" Bruce asked.  
  
  


"Yes. Since he was already in my mind once, there should be a path to reconnect again," Loki replied. "Question is: can we both connect with him at the same time? I feel confident that we will be able to, especially in his heightened state of mind."  
  


"Heightened… How can you tell?" Bruce inquired curiously.  
  


"Simple: the health potion. It's the most likely answer for why his mind is stronger, especially considering it was introduced to him very recently. Kind of like how Popeye gets stronger every time he consumes spinach," Loki replied.  
  


Bruce nodded in understanding and then did a double take. "You know about Popeye?"  
  


Loki looked at him curiously. "Well, of course. Thor and Clint are always watching Cartoon Network and Boomerang channels. They are an excellent location for entertainment, especially the Road Runner. Meep-Meep."  

 

  
Bruce just shook his head. _'Okay, Loki just Meep-Meeped me. Things are definitely hitting Twilight Zone crazy."_  Bruce could feel the Hulk laughing in his head, making Bruce think, _'Why me?'_  
  


As they entered Bruce's apartment, Bruce started to move some furniture out of the way. He went into his bedroom, and came out with incense/ "I thought Jasmine or Celtic Blend would be a nice scent."   
  


Loki looked interested. "What are the candles for?"  
  


"Sometimes I like to stare at the flame as a focal point. It helps me concentrate," Bruce explained.  
  


As they both sat down, Bruce lit the candles and incense, and then they got comfortable, for they did not know how long it would take. "If you come out before me, don’t wake me. If you do, there is great chance that I could be imprisoned in Robert's mind or vice versa."  
  


Bruce nodded his head in agreement. They both begin breathing slowly in and out,  in and out, repeating the process over and over.  
  


Bruce suddenly felt like he was sliding down a tunnel. Not so quickly that it was a free-fall, but at a nice comfortable pace. There were colors flashes, mumbled voices, and blurred images. It went black, and then it lit up again. Bruce opened his eyes and started to look around. He found that they were in a cave. He noticed that Loki was next to him.   
  


They looked at each other and nodded that they were okay. They then heard a familiar voice, "Well it’s about time somebody showed up. I thought maybe that you all said ' _fuck the new guy'."_  
  


There was Robert in front of them, dressed in a shirt and blue jeans. "Well, don't be so talkative, let's get things rolling here," he said as he put his hands together and started to rub them.  
  


"Hold it. We have questions. What are your true intentions? How did you meet each other?" Bruce asked.  
  


 _"Seriously?_ Those are your questions? You make sound like we're going on a date," Robert scoffed. Seeing the serious looks in their eyes, he sighed. "Fine, my intentions are simple: help you all to calm your nightmares. And how did we meet? Well let's see here, 'It was a dark, stormy night,' nah, I’m just joking." Seeing the disapproving looks from Bruce and Loki, Robert figured that was in poor taste.  
  


"Yikes, can't take a joke anymore? Kids, I tell you," Robert said shaking his head. "Alright, before one of you beat me up, we’re in a private location, so that no one has a chance to hurt someone."

 

They nodded their understanding, and Robert went on.  
  


"I’m sure you and Thor told everyone the story of Astaroth?” Robert said to Loki before getting back to business, “Well, back when I was a teenager, I met this woman who was knowledgeable in the Occult. I had an interest in her, so she started to teach me relaxation, meditation, and tarot cards. Turns out I was really good at the cards.” He waved his hand as if to say this was of no consequence and that the real tale came later.

  
"Me and my friends went back to this park, which was an old furnace from the eighteen hundreds that had been the scene of an Indian vs Settlers battle. The Indians lost and they built the steel mill on the graves of the dead."  

 

  
Bruce and Loki gasped; they both had a strong belief in having respect for the dead; Loki especially, considering who his daughter was and was in charge of. 

  
Robert continued, "So we would go there to meditate and pray. I went there once on Halloween, the same time there was a lunar eclipse at midnight. It was scary as fuck, but I had faith in the Lord, so I was fine.”

 

Robert went on to explain that he’d been walking in the park and started meditating. “The next thing I know, it's daylight and there's a State Trooper over me, asking me if I was drunk. Over the next couple of nights, I started to have dreams of meeting a demon.

  
"I think after the fourth night, I became aware and asked him straight up what his intentions were, and he said to get revenge against Thanos. He just said my path would lead me that way and he would not interfere. So this is actually the fifth time he’s interacted with me since that night, and that was almost thirty years ago."

  
"You have been with a demon for thirty years and there is only five times that he’s shown himself?" Loki replied. "I find this hard to believe. How is it that he showed no ill will towards you?”

  
_"Well, Loki, not all spirits or demons want to hurt people, you jackass. Robert has proven to me that he would like me to be restored, but on good terms. His Lord has even agreed not to intervene. Is that so wrong of me to want to avenge my death?"_

 

"So the demon speaks, yet you don't show yourself. Are you afraid?" Loki challenged, trying not to show that he was intimidated by the sudden appearance- and was doing a pretty good job of it.  
  


"Don’t start!" Robert bellowed. "Do your pissing contest another time, preferably when my life isn't at stake. I don't know if he’s going by dream time or Earth time. So if you don't mind, let's get started. Dr. Banner, you’re first."  
  


"Why am I first?" Bruce asked.  
  


"Well duh, it's pretty simple. B comes before L," Robert commented.  
  


"Wow, you really just used the alphabet to be an asshole, nice touch." Loki commented.  
  


"Well, it’s about fucking time," Robert said, looking behind them.

_________________________________  
  
The debate continued between Thor, Tony, Clint, and Steve. Clint was visibly bothered by the actions of Bruce and Loki. Steve and Tony seemed to be on the fence now, and Thor was trying to get help, but was having no success. The ladies watched them argue and argue. Jane, having had enough with the bickering, got up and headed to the elevator. Thor was the first to notice her actions, and called out to her. "Lady Jane, where are you going?"  
  


"Thor, I know you’re trying to defend Robert, but enough is enough. Two hours have gone by, and there is no change. He defended me, he protected me; he almost gave his life for me so that you could be there in time to save us." Jane took a deep breath, "Clint, I do understand what your points are, but I will not just sit here and let Robert fail." With that being said, Pepper and Maria got up.  
  


"You’re right Jane. We’re coming too. We’re all just standing around bickering like children while our friend needs us, and it’s starting to make me feel bad about myself,” Pepper said as she got up, as did Maria and Natasha.  
  


"Where you going, Tasha? You're not on my side? I thought we were friends." Clint felt betrayed by everyone. 'They're walking into a trap. Why were they so blind?' Or was he the one that was blind?  
  


Natasha turned around and walked back to him. "We are friends, Clint, but my gut is telling me to go help him. Bruce is right. We're always telling him to trust the Hulk, because we trust the Hulk. I care about you more than anyone else on the planet - Stark not a word, or I will cut your tongue out - but Clint, we need to go and join them now."  
  


Tony stepped up, "How did you know I was going to say something? Maybe I was going to keep my mouth shut?" He looked at everyone in the room. They all had the same look on their faces; Tony got the hint. "Fine, I was going to be jackass. You all caught me, good for you. Come on. Let's go and get this over with."  
  


As everyone got up, Steve turned to address the teammate that was still on edge about the whole thing. "Clint, we can't make you go. We really do respect your wishes. That’s the thing about being a team; we have each other's backs no matter what. At least consider giving him a chance."  
  


Clint just stared at each and every one of them. "Fine, but if I'm right, you owe me an apology before he kills all of us."  
  


Tony just shook his head, "And people always worry what is going to come out of my mouth."

 

* * *

 

  
They went into Bruce's room; Thor had suggested that might be the easiest way to connect. So they sat around the two, holding hands with each other. "Now, this is very important: if you come out of the trance, do not wake anyone up, and do not move." Everyone agreed, and they all started to breathe at a controlled pace.  
  


Each one of them felt the motion of sliding down the tubes, seeing all types of colors, many different sounds, and then next thing they knew. They were lying down on the ground, and as they stood up, there was a tunnel in front of them. They could hear voices speaking and yelling.  
  


"Everyone stay really close and nobody wander off," Thor advised. Fury reached down to get his gun, but noticed it was gone.  
  


"Damn, I was hoping to go to the zoo today. OW!" Tony said, as Natasha and Pepper elbowed him at the same time. "Yikes, I thought it was a good time."  
  


"Thor, where are we exactly? I mean, are we actually in Robert's brain?" Maria asked.  
  


"I don't know. It is hard to tell," Thor stated.  
  


"Guys, what was that noise just now? It sounds like it's coming out the cave towards us." The sound that Steve had heard sounded like a low growling, but in a higher pitch than a dog's growl. It certainly didn't sound friendly.  
  


Everyone started to search their bodies, but they all realized that, like Fury, they had no weapons. Thor did not even have his Mjolnir, so as the sound got closer, they got into fighting stances. They looked into the tunnel, and saw a mouth opening and big white teeth could be seen. Jane moved closer to Thor, and Pepper closer to Tony. Clint and Natasha looked at each other, both of them ready for a fight.  
  


Then, it came closer and closer. "It moves slowly, it is watching us," Thor commented to Steve. They could see the eyes, which were big; it growled some more, growing louder.  
  


Everyone was close together now. "I'm scared, Thor," Jane said.  
  


"We will defeat this beast, have no fear," he said with confidence. "It must be hungry."  

 

  
"H... h…" the sound came from the tunnel. Steve and Thor looked at each other in confusion. What was that?  
  


"H... h... H... h... H... h…" it was almost at the edge of the tunnel, and the air was tense.  
  


"H... h... Aloha." Everyone just looked each other, not knowing how to process the sound or the word.  
  


"Aloha, are you Ohana?" it came from the tunnel again. It was clearer this time, with a slur.  
  


Jane suddenly had a look of realization. Recognizing the voice, she whispered in Thor's ear. Thor just turned to look at her in surprise. "Are you sure?" Jane just nodded her head and smiled. Thor looked very weary of the advice he was given, but he trusted her. "Yes, we are Ohana." Everyone in the group just turned to look at Thunder god in confusion.  
  


"Okay, good!" Out of the tunnel stepped a little blue creature on four legs. Steve and Pepper turned to look at each other. "That thing…. I’ve seen that on Robert's coffee cup. What is it? How did you know what it is?"  
  


"That is Stitch. He's a Disney cartoon. Trust me, if you met Darcy, you would understand."  
  


"Darcy? That's your hyper friend, right?" Clint asked, and Jane nodded. "Figures," was all Clint said.  
  


"My name Stitch. Are you Robert's family?" it asked as it looked at the Avengers.  
  


"Yes," replied Jane. "We are part of his family. Can you take us to him? We miss him."  
  


The little blue alien shook his head; "No." He folded his arms as he stood upright  
  


Tony was taken aback. "What do you mean ‘no?’ Lead the way before I drop kick you. Ow! Get off my leg, you little Three Mile Island Smurf Freak! OW!"  

 

Stitch had bit Tony's leg and applied pressure, making sure it'd hurt. Stitch felt someone tapping his shoulder. He looked up and saw a strawberry blond woman with a nice smile. "OOh Aloha, pretty," he said, releasing his jaw from Tony's leg.  
  


"Hey, that’s my girl" Tony shouted, trying to beat it back with his foot, which was a mistake, because its teeth sunk right back in and held on. "Keep awa- OW! Will you stop biting me?"  
  


Pepper tried very hard not to laugh. "I know he can be mean, but could you take us to Robert, please?"  
  


"Okay, follow me." Stitch hopped off Tony's leg and started back to the tunnel.  
  


"That little bastard bit me. I’m suing, and he better not have rabies," Tony complained.

 

"What your language," Steve said.  
  


"Serves you right for being mean," Pepper snapped back.  
  


"I hope he does have rabies so you can get all those shots and stuff," Clint commented, with Natasha, Maria, and Fury nodding in agreement.  
  


"Fuck you," Tony replied bitterly.  
  


"No cursing, grrrrrrrr," Stitch growled. Tony immediately shut up and walked very gingerly on his leg.  
  


Jane held Thor's hand tightly as they got closer. As they walked out, they could see Bruce and Loki standing in front of them with their backs turned, and in front of them they were talking to the person that they all wanted to see.  
  


He saw them come out, and he thought for a second on what to say. With a smile, he said, "Well it's about fucking time!"  
  


Stitch ran between Loki and Bruce. He stopped and looked at them. The god and scientist did not know what to make of him. "Thank you, Stitch." Robert noticed Tony's leg, he looked back at Stitch. "Was he being an ass again?"  
  


"Yes! He mean," Stitch said and then he ran off up the wall into a hole.  
  


"Mean? He's calling me the mean one? That little fucker bit me," Tony yelled. "Look what he did to my leg."  
  


"Oh, for Christ's sake, shut the hell up," and Robert snapped his fingers and Tony's leg was healed. Tony saw that his leg was better, making him smile slightly. "Welcome, all my friends. Okay, does everyone know about Astaroth and Thanos?" Everyone nodded their heads, so Robert quickly explained the story between him and Astaroth.  
  


Clint raised his hand, and so Robert acknowledged him.  
  


"Okay, everything kind of makes sense up to this part. Why does a God of accusers and inquiries care about you solving our nightmares so we can sleep?" he asked.

  
  
_"To be honest, imagine how much sharper you would be with a full night of sleep, projects you can build, missions to solve, and people that need your help. All can be done better if you have a better sleep., the demon said, overhead by everyone. "As I have said, I want revenge against Thanos for my death. I was the treasure of Hell, the Grand Duke of Hell, and he robbed me of that and there is a chance that you will have to maybe battle Thanos, I want you to have the best chance to beat him, if you ever do.."_   
  


"Wow, sorry about all of that. I didn't know," Robert stated. "Well, enough stalling, let's do this. Robert clapped his hands together and everyone was teleported to a room with seats and a giant screen. "Okay, here's the deal: you all have issues, so if you can't be understanding, keep your comments to yourself. Especially Tony, Loki, and sometimes Clint. All references that are not understood aka: Steve, Loki, and Thor.  There will be a yellow button that you can press in front of your seat. Then once we are outta’ here, if I live, I’ll explain them to you. Any questions? No? Okay, let's begin. Dr. Banner." With that, everyone sat down.


	24. Bruce Banner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Banner and the Hulk Meet, Pepper possibly dies

 

As the room darkened, a spotlight appeared on the stage, and Robert was there. "Dr. Banner, your nightmares are focused mainly around the fact that you’re worried that the Hulk is going to hurt people, correct?”  
  


"That, and the people the Hulk already did hurt,” Bruce replied, somewhat cynically. Robert raised an eyebrow, and Bruce eventually sighed, rubbing his brow. “Look, I have a monster inside me that’s just waiting for me to lose control. He just wants to be free and go wild," Bruce stated.  
  


"Well, I don't think it’s fair for him not to have a voice, since he’s still part of you. Do me favor and hold still for a second." With that, Robert went over to Banner and used his hands to make a general outline of Bruce, without touching him.  After that, Robert stepped back and made the same motion again, and a few seconds later, an image started to form. Soon it was clear to everyone that there were two Bruce Banners standing before them.  
  


"How the hell did you do that?" Tony shouted, "That's impossible!"  
  


"Impossible? Pfft. I just had to copy and paste him. This is my mind. Ergo, I can do whatever I want, thank you very much. Now shut up, or I’ll call Stitch back," Robert replied to Tony, who immediately shut his mouth. Robert turned to face the copy of Banner. "Hulk, I know you can hear me, and I’m welcoming you to join us. Please, you should have the right to speak." After those words, they all watched in silence as the transformation sequence took place. In a matter of seconds, it was complete, and the Avengers found themselves staring at their big green muscle. For the first time ever, there stood Bruce Banner and the Hulk, staring eye to eye.  
  


"Holy fuck," came from Loki's mouth. Everyone whipped their heads towards the demi-god.  
  


"That might be the most appropriate response for this moment," Robert said with a smirk, as he turned to face the two Banners. "Hello Hulk, how are you?"  
  


"Oh yeah, I curse and I get scolded. Loki curses, and no one says anything," Tony complained.    
  


"HULK GOOD!" Hulk bellowed, causing Robert to cover his ears.  
  


"Hulk, there is no need to yell. We can hear you just fine. Take the voice down a few levels, please." Hulk nodded. "Okay Hulk, since you’re in my mind, I’m going to increase your intelligence so that you’ll be able to talk to us, okay?" Robert just closed his eyes for a few seconds. "Okay, let's try this again. Hulk, how are you?"  
  


"Wow, um. Thank you, I’m better," Hulk answered. Everyone was quiet with shock as the Hulk turned to face Banner. His face immediately scrunched in anger and offense, but most of all, hurt. "Why?! After all the times I’ve tried to protect you, why did you keep trying to kill both of us? WHY?!" He raised his fist and threw it at full force towards Bruce. The rest of the team closed their eyes or turned their heads away. They didn't want to see their friend be killed.  
  


He knew it would kill him and that there was no dodging it, so he just braced himself. But it never came. He looked up and saw the Hulk's hand frozen in midair. The Hulk was trying to move his arm, but couldn't. He was grunting and pulling, but it wouldn't budge. Robert walked over to them both. "This will be your only warning. I understand that you’re upset, but this will be your only chance to come to peace with each other. No one will be harmed unless I decide it, do I make myself clear?"  
  


Hulk pulled his arm back and relaxed. He looked to Bruce, then at Robert. "I’m sorry," he turned to face Bruce again, "Why?"  
  


Bruce stared at Hulk incredulously, "Why? You really have to ask that? You took everything from me. I lost my life, Betty, my friends, my family. I’ve had to live in jungles, deserts, and wastelands before just to hide us because you get mad and kill people,"  
  


Hulk looked annoyed but also hurt. "I did not ask to be made. General Ross made me. I never want to hurt people, but I want to live too. What do you want me to do when they’re shooting at me?"  
  


Robert held up his hands and made a timeout motion. "Okay, Banner feels like the Hulk is out of control. The Hulk is trying to defend Banner and save himself. The thing is, both of you are right. Let's try something." All of sudden, a tree appeared with a bee's nest on it. Bees were humming and buzzing around, crawling on the hive. "This is a bee's nest. The bees are making honey and protecting the beehive. Now, here is a moron. " A person appeared, wearing a red cape, blond hair, and had a dented Viking helmet on his head. Plus, he had a stupid bent smile. Loki and Clint both looked really confused for a moment, looking at each other and then at Thor.  
  


"Yes, for those who are wondering, that’s Thor, because I’m still really bitter at him for scaring the hell out of me. Now, you see the bees and the moron. They’re far apart from each other.  No problem, right?" Everyone nodded in agreement.  
  


"Okay, now watch."

 

  
The moron suddenly spoke. "I am in need of honey. I will be brave and raid the hive." He made these claims in a booming voice, getting giggles and snickers from the crowd. The real Thor looked a little sad as the moron approached the hive. The bees, of course, attacked him. "Ow! These beasts are attacking. I must run away!" The moron ran away, but he began to get a rash and started to swell up. The moron said, "Oh no, I forgot I am allergic to bees." He fell down, went into an anaphylactic shock, passed out, and died.

 

  
"I think he is being a bit harsh," Thor whispered to Jane.

 

  
"The sad thing is that probably could happen in real life," Clint whispered to Tony, who just nodded in agreement.  
  


"You have no idea how right you are," Loki said. Everyone just looked at Loki. Thor's face flushed a bright pink and he quickly made a throat-slitting motion, but Loki just raised an eyebrow with a mischievous smile.

 

 

"A story later?" Tony asked. Loki smirked and nodded. Tony and Clint looked happy, while Natasha and Pepper just shook their heads.  
Robert caught the whisper and stared at the Thunder God.

 

  
"So are you going to scare people like that anymore?" Robert asked Thor. Thor shook his head. "Okay then, I forgive you. So anyways, who is at fault here? The bees or the moron? If you think the bees are at fault, raise your hand." No one raised their hand. "Okay, now for the moron." Everyone raised their hands. "Excellent, now onto the next example." An unarmed soldier appeared next to the Hulk. "Now Hulk, are you going to do anything?"  
  


Hulk looked at the soldier. "No." Then Robert gave the soldier a gun, the soldier immediately pointed the gun at the Hulk. Hulk punched the soldier and killed him. Bruce freaked out, "You killed him!"

 

  
Robert said, "Bruce, shut the fuck up. The soldier wasn't real. Now, who is at fault? Is it the Hulk or the soldier? Show of hands on who believes it was the Hulk?" Only Bruce raised his hand. "Alright, and what about the soldier?" Everyone else raised their hands. "See the principle, if people would not attack the Hulk or Banner, it would be okay. Also, if anyone is dumb enough to shoot the Hulk with anything less than a missile or laser, then they’re an idiot and should be smashed."

 

  
"Hulk, would you hurt a baby, a child, an unarmed person, or a person in the wheelchair?" Robert asked.  
  


"No, I would not hurt any of them on purpose; as long as I don't feel threatened I will not attack," Hulk answered.  
  


Bruce looked at Robert, shaking his head. "You don't get it, people die when he is loose. Whether they are killed directly or indirectly, people die. It happens even if he doesn’t mean to. He’s just too big and powerful."  
  


Robert was getting frustrated. He face palmed. 'Shit, if he is this difficult, I can't wait till I get to Loki, Natasha, Clint, and Tony, the Merchant of …. HOLY SHIT.' A big grin appeared on Robert's face.  
  


Tony whispered to Pepper, "Why is it that every time he smiles like that, I get nervous? It creeps me out… Shit, he’s staring right at us. What’s he doing?"  
  


Pepper let out a sigh. "Stop being paranoid, he’s looking at everyone,"  
  


Suddenly, Pepper and Tony found them next to Bruce and the Hulk. "You know what really sucks about being paranoid? When you're right." A giant black board appeared, saying 'How Many People Died Because of Me?' in big gold letters.  
  


"Okay, Bruce, so by your own admission, because of all the people that the Hulk has killed directly or indirectly, that makes him and you a monster, am I wrong?" Robert asked Bruce.  
  


Bruce looked at everyone. "Yes, that’s how I feel. I know there are times when he defends us, I have no issue with that. It doesn’t change the fact that there are a lot of innocent people dead, because of the Hulk."  
  


"Then what’s your opinion of Tony and Pepper?" came from the audience.

 

 

Loki turned to look at Natasha and said to the spy, "Um, this is going to get ugly. You do realize this?" Natasha just nodded.

 

Clint was next to her, so he nudged her. "What the hell is Deer-brain talking about? Why do you look nervous?" Clint questioned her.

  
"I think Robert might go for the jugular with Banner, and it’s going to get real uncomfortable," she said looking forward. 'Unfortunately, it also might be the only way to change his mind. The team is going to be pissed off at him.'  
  


"I know that they are wonderful people. They care about me and helped me get my life back. I know that Tony has accepted me as great friend," Bruce said,  smiling at his friends.  
  


"Tony, how long have you run been running Stark Industries? And Pepper, how long have you worked with Stark Industries?" Robert asked the couple, who looked confused by the questions.  
  


"I started running the business when I was twenty-one. I'm forty-four now," Tony answered.  
  


"I went to work for him in 1999, and have been happy ever since. Plus, there's the added bonus of meeting all of you," Pepper said with a smile.  
  


"Do either of you know that while Stark Industries was under your control until 2008, when you declared that you would no longer make weapons, you were the cause of over a million deaths?" Robert stated. Robert pointed to the board, and Tony and Pepper's names appeared on it, with numbers on it increasing very quickly.  
  


"Oh shit," Loki and Natasha both said. Fury just rubbed his eye and shook his head. Thor and Jane were confused, as well as Steve and Clint.  
  


"Indirectly, Tony has caused over 750,000 deaths from the weapons that his company made. Since Pepper has joined the company, she has become indirectly responsible for at least 300,000 deaths." Everyone was shocked at the facts, well, except Tony and Pepper. They had known already that Stark Industries did not have a clean past.  
  


"Now, wait a minute, Pepper has nothing to do with this." Bruce was stunned.  
  


"Yes, she does. She worked for the company. She helped process orders. She didn’t have to work there but she did. Right?"  
  


"Please don't answer that," Jane said.  
  


Pepper looked at Bruce, then Tony. "Correct,"  
  


"This would fall under the category of War Crimes, under the International Code Council or the U.S. Department of Justice, so you would be facing either life in prison or the death penalty," Robert stated. "Well, we’re the U.S., so let's make it quick." Suddenly, a silver 44 magnum handgun appeared in his hand. Robert pointed the gun at Pepper's head, making everyone gasp. Tony, Bruce, and the Hulk tried to get to Robert, but they could not move. Robert cocked the trigger back.  
  


Robert quickly went into Pepper's mind. 'Trust me, please. This may be the only way to change Bruce's mind, please trust me.'  
  


"So Bruce, by your definition, if you kill people indirectly or directly, you are a monster, right? So with all these deaths that they caused, that makes them monsters, right?"  
  


Bruce swallowed hard. He couldn’t breathe. 'What hell is Hall doing? The Hulk is a monster, why does no one else see it that way?' "Bruce, hey, over here," Robert still had the gun to Pepper's head.  
  


"So I’ll ask again, you think you and the Hulk deserve to die for what you’ve done. How about Pepper? Is she a monster?" Robert asked.  
  


Pepper just stood there. Tony was trying anything possible to get closer, but he couldn't move. "Bruce, once I pull this trigger, she will be dead. There is no going back. I will ask this one last time: are they monsters?"  
  


"No. She is not a monster," Bruce said.  
  


"What was that, Bruce? You may need to speak up a little louder; I'm growing a bit deaf," Robert requested.  
  


"NO! Dammit, she is not a monster. Neither are Maria, Thor, Tony, Loki, Fury, Steve, Clint, or Natasha. None of them are monsters, they’re my family. I care about them."  
  


"Okay, good. Now, is the Hulk a monster, yes or no?" Robert lowered the gun, and then it vanished.  
  


Bruce fell to his knees. "No!" The Hulk, Tony, and Pepper walked over to him  
  


"One final question," Robert said, as tears formed his eyes. "Bruce, are you a monster?"  
  


Bruce looked up. He saw them, Hulk, Tony, Pepper, and then he looked out to them, 'his family.'  
  


"No, I am not a monster," he whimpered. Tony held out his hand; Bruce took it. The Hulk and Tony helped him up. Robert walked over to him.  
  


"One more time, please."  
  


"I am not a monster! I never was!" Bruce bellowed at the top of his lungs. All of a sudden, he felt arms around him. He looked and saw Tony, Pepper, Hulk, and Robert hugging him.  
  


"Then, please stop! Forgive yourself! Forgive the Hulk! Let him out a little a bit here and there," Robert pleaded. “Maybe you two can work it out. You can’t kill each other, so learn to live with one another.”  
  


"I will, I’m sorry, Hulk. I trust you," Bruce said to him.  
  


"I trust you, Banner," Hulk said back.  
  


"Hulk, I’m going to return you to your normal self, but you will retain the memories of today. I’m sure your family will hold Bruce to his promise," Robert spoke.  
  


"Thank you, Robert. Just one more thing…" Hulk growled deeply.  
  


"I think I know what all of you are going to say. 'If I ever pull a gun on anyone on this team again, you will rip me to shreds."  
  


"Correct!" the Hulk roared angrily, directing it at Robert. The force was strong enough to knock the human to the ground. "Just so you don't forget." The Hulk disappeared after that, and Banner suddenly felt him return, as he lost balance and fell down on his butt.  
  


Pepper walked over to Robert. "I understand why you did what you did,  although it was a bit extreme. I’m grateful that Bruce now understands, but…"  
  


Robert nodded. "I know, go ahead." With his permission, Tony punched him in the nose. Blood poured out and after he hit the ground, Pepper did a goal kick right to the family jewels. Robert howled in pain, and all the males, even Tony, winced in pain.  
  


Robert looked up at Tony and Pepper, blood on his face. "We good?" he asked weakly.  
  


Tony and Pepper looked at each other before turning back to him. "Yeah, we're good,"  
  


"Okay, then. Break time." With that, he passed out, and the next thing everyone felt was being rushed back into their bodies.

 


	25. Steve Rodgers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captain America, Peggy, United

 

As everyone came back to their senses, they got up and stretched. Tony looked at Bruce curiously. "Well, how do you feel?" Bruce noticed everyone looking at him. He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes.

 

_'Hulk, are you there?'_

  
  


_'Yes, I'm here,'_ Hulk replied. _'Bruce?'_

  
  


_'Yes, Hulk?'_ Bruce asked him.

  
  


_'Keep promise?_ ’ Hulk asked.

  
  


_'Yes, Hulk, I will keep my end of the deal,'_ Bruce said back.

  
  


_'Me too,'_ Hulk responded.

  
  


Bruce opened his eyes and saw that everyone was still staring. Tony seemed the most nervous, as if his eyes were begging for the answer. Bruce just smiled. "He is an asshole for the way he did it, but it worked. We’ve made peace. I’m going to go check on Robert,"

  
  


He left the room. Tony started to stretch his hand out, rubbing his knuckles with a wince. Steve looked at his hand and shook his head. "See, if you would go to hand combat training with us, you would know how to punch someone and it wouldn't hurt."

  
  


"Put a sock in it, Capsicle… Alright, fine. You win," he said with a smile, "Jarvis, what time is it? Is there any food in the tower? I’m sure everyone’s hungry." Everyone agreed on that as they headed out of Bruce's apartment.

  
  


"Sir, it is noon. I took the liberty of ordering pizzas and wings for everyone, as well as Director Fury and Commander Hill's favorites," Jarvis answered.

  
  


"Bullshit. I don't have a favorite type," Fury spat out angrily while glaring at Tony, holding him responsible for keeping such a nosy machine around.

 

"Not even chicken and pepperoni with Hidden Valley Ranch drizzled on it? And for Commander Hill, there is Hawaiian pizza." Fury and Hill looked at each other, and then looked at Tony, starting to walk towards him.

  
  


"So what? You're shocked I'd have him figure it out?" Tony questioned.

  
  


"Jarvis, how did you find out what we liked?" Maria questioned the A.I.

  
  


"I hacked the pizza restaurant. They had the types listed," the A.I. answered.

  
  


They stopped and allowed themselves to relax. "You got lucky. Well, let's go eat," Fury said.

  
  


Everyone went into the common area and started to eat and drink. Jane looked at Clint, who had finished eating and had walked over to a window. She went over there to stand next to him. The pair did not say anything for a few minutes. Clint finally turned to face her, feeling a little guilty for his meltdown earlier about not thinking Robert was trustworthy. "Sorry… about-" Jane cut him off.

  
  


"Don't… Don't worry about it. You have every right to your opinion. Not many people know what it’s like to have their mind invaded. Who knows what would have happened if it had been me,” Jane said. "I know you’re a good man. Natasha is lucky to have you as dear close friend."

  
  


Clint just smiled at her in acknowledgement and they hugged each other. Pulling back from the embrace, Clint smirked. "I think your puppy is lost." She turned around and saw Thor walking over with a big smile. The archer then realized something. He turned his gaze towards the billionaire and yelled, "Tony!" Said man looked up from his plate and rose an eyebrow up in question.

  
  


"Story time, remember?" Clint reminded the man. Tony's face brightened up, and he and Clint both looked at Loki expectantly, ganging up together. "Reindeer Games, tell us about Thor," Tony demanded.

  
  


"I’m exhausted. Thor," Loki stated to his brother. "Since it was your idiocy, you tell them." He sat back and watched his brother sweat a little. ( Aw man, Loki would’ve told it way funnier.)

  
  


Everyone stared at the thunder god, and although the man wanted nothing more than to avoid the subject altogether, his pride wouldn't let him. Resigning himself to his fate, Thor told them the story of him and the bees. Twenty-five minutes later, everyone was on the floor laughing their heads off. Thor sunk down into his chair a little more, his face hot and flushed pink. He then felt two arms around him; he looked up and saw that it was Jane.

  
  


"Thor, this is one of the many reasons why I love you." She gave him a kiss on the lips and a big hug. He felt a little better.

  
  


Everyone calmed themselves from their laughing fit and sat back down. "Okay, so now we all know what is going on a bit better. What we need to know is if there’s anything that we can do to help Robert," Maria said. "Because at the rate we’re going, there’s no way he can finish, I mean he has about two days left."

  
  


"Yes, don’t be as stubborn as I was; just listen to him. We have to be open-minded with his tactics," Bruce advised. "I was so set in my ways, thinking I knew what was best. He had to resort to pulling a gun on Pepper for me to see things another way. I really thought he was going to shoot you," he said in a small voice, brow creasing with guilt.

  
  


"He wouldn't have," Pepper answered. "He went into my head and asked me to trust him. He only did it to scare you into listening."  
  


"How do you know? He could have lied to you," Natasha stated matter-of-factually.

  
  


_"I’m afraid none of you understand,"_ Jarvis said. _"He is like most of you; he has no one left. His family is dead, with only a brother that he has not spoken to in over twelve years reaming. He has no friends from within his work or outside of it. All he had left was his faith in the FBI, but that too was taken from him. Even with all that, he is still willing to help all of you be rid of your nightmares, your doubts. I hear them every night from all of you, all at once. I am the one who hears your screams, your rants. I see your sweat, the look of terror in your eyes, your pale white skin. I see the frantic heartbeats with my monitors, the skyrocketing blood pressure, the rapid breathing. I even see the tears you wish to hide that fall from your eyes. Every night, this is what I endure, and there is nothing I can do to alleviate the pain. I do hope that you accept his help."_

  
  


Everyone was quiet. They just stared at each other, not believing what they had just heard. None of them had ever considered what Jarvis had to go through on a daily basis. Tony felt especially ashamed; how could he fail his own creation, his overseer, and loyal friend? Pepper and Jane felt someone lay their hand on theirs and found that it was Tony touching them. "Enough. We're gonna’ fight this."

  
  


Jane accepted Tony's hand and then took Thor’s. "For ones that we love," she agreed.

  
  


Thor accepted her hand, and then took Bruce's. "No matter the distance, we will always be there."

  
  


Bruce gripped Thor’s hand in return, and took Clint's. "Even when we feel abandoned and untrusted."

  
  


Clint grabbed Natasha’s hand. "Even when you feel that your end is near."

  
  


Natasha took Fury's hand. "Someone will always be there at the last second."

  
  


Fury smiled and held her hand back, and then he took Steve's hand, "We will come save you, from any hell."

  
  


Steve nodded and accepted the hand, and then he took Loki's. "We always being willing to give a you chance."

  
  


Loki felt strange, but he allowed the touch and took Maria’s hand as well. "But you have to be willing to prove that you can."

  
  


Maria accepted and then took Pepper's hand. "No matter how hard the battle, how alone you are, how dark the feelings."

  
  


Pepper grabbed Tony's hand, squeezing tightly. "To be willing to fight for the ones you love, without question-"

  
  


Jarvis added, "because with family, you will never be alone."   

  
  


"Now that was awesome," Tony said. “Good talk. Now, let’s go.”

  
  


Loki got up suddenly, feeling everyone’s eyes on him as he did so. It annoyed him slightly, but only in a defensive, stage-fright sort of way. "Don’t look at me like that. I'm only going to the bathroom," he replied in defense. Everyone just laughed.

 

Fury looked at his team, a serious look in his eye. "Let's bring Robert home."

  
  


They cleaned up the food and went to the middle of the room, sitting down in a circle. "Once again, if you wake up before anyone else does, do not move or touch anybody until everyone is awake," Loki reminded them. Once finished with the warning, they all started to breathe and relax, with the new purpose and hope of bringing their brother home.

  
  


They went through the journey and arrived in the cave again, but luckily they didn’t have to travel back through the tunnel. They immediately saw Robert sleeping on the ground. It was so hard underfoot that there was no way he could be comfortable.

 

"Is it safe to wake him?" Pepper questioned Loki.

  
  


"I'm not sure. I have never seen this happen before," Loki was scratching the back of his head. "The host is always awake when you enter."

  
  


"Do you think he’s okay?" Natasha asked.

  
  


"You get punched in the nose and have your nuts get kicked in by a field goal kicker. Let's see how awake you are after that," Robert muttered as he woke up and got up off the ground.

  
  


"The ground looks hard. It must not be very comfortable," Bruce commented.

  
  


Robert just shook his head. "This is my mind. I can do whatever the fuck I want. I can make the ground hot, cold, soft, fluffy, or like popcorn. I can make cartoon characters appear at my whim. Anything is possible, as you will see. Oh my Captain, please report to the bridge."

  
  


Next thing that Steve knew, he was on the stage in front of Robert. Everyone realized that they were back in the seats of a theater. "Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, a.k.a. Director Fury's way to get back at Tony Stark," Robert said with a smile. "Anyways, you have nightmares of the past, regrets, failed promises, and lost love, correct?"

  
  


Steve nodded at Robert. "That basically covers it, yes,"

  
  


"Why are you alive?" Robert asked him.

  
  


"Huh?" was all he could say at first, and then he asked, "Did you just ask me why I’m alive?"

 

"Yup, why are you alive? Why aren't you dead?" Robert asked again.

  
  


"Because I crashed the Hydra plane into the ice, but still survived," Steve answered. It was a common fact.

  
  


"Oh, I know that, but that's not what I'm asking. What I am asking is why aren't you dead? You should be dead, you know that, right?" Robert asked again.

  
  


Everyone in the audience was looking at each other nervously. They were very unsure on where Robert was going with these questions; even Bruce had a look of concern on his face. Steve looked confused. He couldn't understand the questions or why they had been asked. He got the sneaking suspicion that Robert was being deliberately hurtful, but that couldn’t be it, right?

  
  


"Why the silence, Captain? Why aren't you dead?" Robert demanded. "I’d like an answer."

  
  


"I don't know. I can't explain it properly," Captain answered. He was starting to get red in the face, eyes narrowing.

  
  


"He’s about to snap," Natasha commented. Loki and Clint nodded in unison.

  
  


"Unacceptable, try again. Why aren't you dead?" Robert demanded again. "Come on, you know the reason! Why aren't you dead?"

  
  


Steve couldn't take it. He jumped out of the chair, and got in Robert's face. Steve was always the calm kind one of the team, always the level-headed peace maker, but having someone jab at his weaknesses purposefully made him feel like he was being bullied, just like he had been back when he’d been a scrawny weakling. He couldn’t take it.

 

"I don't know! Okay?! I don't know!" he yelled at Robert, who had no reaction. "I wish I knew the answer, but I don't! There must be some reason. I wish I knew why I wasn't dead, but I don't. God only knows why, maybe he had a plan." Steve was huffing, trying to catch his breath. Robert just continued to stare at him.

  
  


"Okay good, about time you answered correctly. Take a seat, you look out of breath," Robert commented.

  
  


"Wow, he really is an asshole," Tony commented, shaking his head, and from Tony, that was saying a lot.

  
  


"Mama always told me: 'stick to what you're good at,'" Robert said in a fake southern voice to the team, mostly directed at Tony’s remark.

  
  


"Steve, there is only one reason why you are alive, and that is because of God. He wanted you alive. He wanted you to crash the plane into the ocean, because God knew he would need you now."

  
  


"That is your opinion," Steve stated. "There's no way of knowing for sure. It could be a side-effect of the serum. More super-soldier business."

  
  


"Really? Are you that delusional? Okay, let's see here,” Robert said, drumming his fingers on his chin in mock-thought. “Let's take a weak kid from Brooklyn who barely gets into the Army while we’re facing a world war, who then goes and jumps on a hand grenade instead of running away, to protect his fellow soldiers. This kid then becomes Captain America, and then makes it through a ton of battles, and kills lots of Nazi and Hydra troops. He then proceeds to crash a plane filled with atomic missiles into a glacier. He is then made into an ice cube for seventy years and is found by pure mother-fucking shit-ass luck, because Banner had a meltdown at the same spot. And not only that, but he was brought back to life," Robert took a deep breath to gather his bearings. "And yet you think that there is no way to think that the Lord wanted you alive now? Seriously?!"

  
  


Steve remained silent, so Robert continued.

  
  


"God wanted you alive. Why? Well, here’s my guess: 'Hmm, there’s this crazy bunch of aliens and a whacked out god, who’s under mind control. They’re going to attack my planet, my people. Now, I'll have some superheroes there to help, but they need a leader. Hmm, let's see here: Hulk? Nope. Thor? Nope. Widow? Nope. Hawkeye? Nope. Who's left? Iron Man? Not happening in this universe or the next. What is Captain America doing right now? Oh great, he is crashing a plane with atomic weapons into the ocean. Screw the laws of nature and stuff; the missiles won’t explode and he’ll survive as an ice cube for seventy years to lead this team of misfits," Robert said

  
  


"Are you nuts?" Steve asked him, a flat cynical expression on his face.

  
  


"Clearly it’s because I keep staying around all of you," Robert responded. "Steve, God needed you here now. Bruce, Tony, or Jane, what are the odds of Steve being here, alive now?"

 

The three scientists looked at each other. "Well, there’s been at least one hundred and eight billion people on the planet since humanity began, so I would guess one in one hundred and eight billion," Bruce answered, with some humor in his voice.

  
  


"Those are some impressive odds there. Anything to say to that, Steve-o?" Robert asked.

  
  


Steve was stunned, but he was capable of still talking. "I don't know what to make of it all. I’m so confused by everything. It was seventy years, but to me it’s like it all happened only a year ago, like I just took a nap…” He put a hand to his forehead, sighing. “What does it matter anyway? My heart can't let her go. I disappointed her, and now she’s gone. I got to talk to her again before she died, but… It’s… I just can’t, alright?"

  
  


"I have someone who wants to say something." The room darkened, and a sudden gust of wind entered. Before their eyes, a glowing ball of light appeared, and it got bigger and bigger. Then suddenly, there she was; it was Peggy Carter's ghost, standing before Steve.

  
  


"Peggy, is it you? How can you be there?" Steve asked in amazement and shock. Then, realizing that Peggy was in front of him once more, Steve fell out of the chair and onto his knees, his blue eyes moist from tears that were starting to form. She was no longer the old dying woman that he’d said goodbye to, but the young girl he’d fallen in love with.  "I’m so sorry…. about… about the plane. I did what I thought was right. Please forgive me."

  
  


"Soldier, get on your feet now! Do you have no self-respect?" the spirit commanded.

  
  


Steve jumped to his feet on instinct, standing at attention. "Ma'am."

  
  


"Smart, very smart," came from Loki's mouth. Natasha turned to look at him and nodded in agreement.

  
  


"You completed your mission, Captain," Peggy's spirit stated, her tone softer and more reassuring. "You did the right thing. God knows what that idiot – Howard – would have done if he still had the Tesseract."

  
  


Tony flinched a little at the mention of his father.

  
  


Steve was shocked by her words. "I thought you and Howard were friends?"

  
  


"Yes, we were, until I saw how he treated his own son. But we are not here to discuss that; this is about you Steve. Why do you hold onto me still? You’ve already said goodbye to me.”

 

“But you cried, Peggy,” Steve said in a tortured voice. “On your death bed, you… I could see how much pain it caused you to have to hear me go down in that ship. I left you before we ever had a chance.”

 

Peggy smiled a little. “Yes, I missed you dearly, but I moved on. I married a man who gave me children, and then had grandchildren. I did think about what could have been often, but I didn't let it consume my life. If I did, I would have missed everything life had to offer me. I would’ve sat on the dance floor for years and waited for you, but I lived, because that’s what you would’ve wanted me to do, isn’t it?”

 

Steve nodded immediately. Peggy smiled knowingly. “I moved on Steve; now it's your turn," she advised.

  
  


Steve put his head down and started to weep. The spirit came close to him, and knelt by him. "I know this is hard. I wish there was a way to make this easier on you."

  
  


"There is, Peggy," Robert said. "Go ahead; I'm good with it."

  
  


Steve looked at Robert with an eyebrow up. The spirit smiled knowingly. "Thank you, Robert," the ghost replied, and with that she went over to the man. Her spirit slowly merged with Robert's body, and then there was a bright flash of light, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. When they were all able to look once again, there she was, Peggy Carter, standing in the flesh.

  
  


"Well, we know one guy who's watched ‘Ghost,’" Tony commented. Pepper just shook her head and rolled her eyes.

  
  


"Soldier, get over here," she said and with that, Steve ran over, lifted her up, as he lowered her down, they gave each other the strongest hug they could give. "I missed you," they said together.

  
  


"Peggy, I’m sorry I missed our dance," Steve stated as a teardrop of regret fell from his eye.  
  


"You didn't miss it Steve," Peggy corrected. "You're just a little late." With her words finished, the cave transformed into the Stock Club, straight out of the 40s; it was a splitting image of it. White table cloths, the orchestra pit, the main bar, and even the lights were identical. Steve looked down and he was in his Army uniform. "May I have this dance?" Peggy asked, holding her hand out.

  
  


Steve nodded, and they held each other close. Music started to play. 'Doris Day (w. Les Brown) - Good night, wherever you are' and 'My Dreams are Getting Better All the Time.' All the Avengers just watched with tears in the eyes; Clint with Natasha, Jane with Thor, Tony with Pepper, Bruce was remembering Betty, and the rest just smiled; even Astaroth was smiling. The two songs ended, the two partners held onto each other tightly. "This is goodbye, isn't it?" Steve questioned.

  
  


"It is, but I swear to God, if you don't go on a date with someone by the end of next week, I am going to kick your ass," Peggy said, looking him in the eye. Steve just nodded with a smile.

  
  


"Goodbye, Peggy." With those words, he kissed her on her ruby red lips. She took a step back and smiled. Then a glowing light started to form. It grew and grew, and then there was a flash that blinded everyone.

  
  


When everyone's vision returned to normal, there was Robert, swaying back and forth. Steve walked over to him, "Thank you, Robert,"

  
  


"You are so welco..." Robert mumbled, blinking his eyes blearily and reaching out to Steve’s shoulder to steady himself. "You good now?"

  
  


Steve said, smiling a little sadly, but in a nostalgic sort of way. "Yes, I’m good."

  
  


"Smoke 'em if you got 'em," Robert continued to mumble. Loki jumped up.

  
  


"Steve, catch him, now!" Loki called. Robert began to fall backwards. Steve grabbed Robert before he hit the ground.

  
  


"Nap time. Are you staying or leaving?" Robert asked.

  
  


Everyone agreed. "We’ll stay," Steve answered.

 

 


	26. Jane Foster and Pepper Potts

After Robert closed his eyes, Steve helped him to the ground gently."Well since everyone's so quiet, any idea on how long we let him go out for?" Natasha inquired.

"Good question. This is another first for me. I would imagine for a least half an hour," Loki answered. Everyone seemed to nod in agreement, although no one had any real idea of how long would be appropriate.

So after a little while, Robert started to move, making a long moan. He slowly lifted himself off the ground. He whipped his head left to right, causing loud cracking sounds to fill the cave. Everyone winced at the sound. Robert's eyes rolled to the back of his head, he muttered, "Uughh, mommy," and then he plopped back down on the ground. Bruce and Tony looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders, and made their way over to him. Robert saw them coming closer. "You all stayed. Thank you," he stated. "Nap time over?"

"Yeah, it is. Time to go to work," Tony replied as he and Bruce helped Robert off the ground.

"What a meanie! Alright, fuck this. I'm gonna' be dead by the time I'm done with this team." The next thing to appear was a big wheel with the remaining names of the people on it. "Okay, let's spin the wheel." Robert grabbed the wheel and yanked it down. The wheel went round and round. As it slowed down, everyone held their breath, waiting eagerly to see who would be next. The ones left were Fury, Jane, Thor, Loki, Pepper, Clint, Natasha, and Maria. Finally, it stopped. "We have a winner!" Jane appeared next to Robert.

"Jane, why did you not tell me of this?" Thor bellowed out to his lady. He was shocked that she had nightmares.

"It's not a big deal," Jane said in an attempt to downplay her nightmares. She didn't want time to be wasted on them, especially after seeing the horrors that the true members of the team were experiencing. She felt like hers were nothing compared to those. "It really isn't."

" _Stop!_ " Robert yelled, thoroughly annoyed with Jane. "This isn't a contest of who's gone through worse." Robert turned to face the team. "What scares you will not always scare someone else, but that doesn't mean that it's not still important to you." He looked back at Jane. "You are a beautiful woman, a genius, and have low self-esteem, but you see there is a problem here. I can't help your nightmares, because they're not ones of the past, but ones that may soon happen."

The cave dimmed to a fading darkness. Once it was completely dark, an image started to appear in front of them.

"Oh, it is a movie," said Thor. "Can we have popcorn, please?" Loki closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He slowly shook his head, as if screaming ' _Why me!'_

Robert face palmed and looked at Jane, "Really?! Just one question: How?"

Jane shrugged her shoulders and looked back at Robert. "I love him." With those words spoken, a dream sequence began, and it looked like Jane and Thor were with Odin. The Allfather did not look happy.

"She does not belong here in Asgard any more than a goat belongs at a banquet table!" screamed Odin. "You will stop seeing this woman, or I will banish you from Asgard forever."

Thor shot her a hateful glare Jane with a stern cold expression. "I shall not give up the throne for a mortal woman."

Then there was an image of Loki. "This day, the next, a hundred years. It means nothing! It's a heartbeat. You'll never be ready. The only woman whose love you prized will be snatched from you," and with that he stabbed her in front of Thor.

Another image of Frigga. "Thor, she is not a princess, a warrior, or even an enchantress. Surely this relationship is out of pity for her?"

"Well, that has to make family get-togethers awkward. Ow! Will you stop hitting me?" Tony demanded after getting punched by Pepper.

Robert just shook his head. "You see, Jane. Your nightmares could be visions of the future. They could just be about what you fear, or it could be your gut telling you to break up with Thor. You have the power get rid of these things really easily. All you have to do is break up with Thor. If you stay with Thor, these visions will probably persist, or you could break up with him and that'll slowly cease. You'll stop caring so much that it gives you nightmares. All you have to do is leave him. He'll probably get over it eventually, I mean, he'll live a _long time._ " Jane put her head down with a frown set on her face.

Thor hung his head down, accepting her silent answer. Robert noticed this from both of them and got visibly annoyed. "The _fuck?!_ " he screamed, "I didn't say you _had_ to break up. I thought you two said you loved each other!"

"We do," Thor said, Jane nodding in agreement. She wanted to be with him.

"Then fucking act like it. I mean, shit," Robert commanded, "That was the part where you're supposed to say that you'll fight the pain! That you're strong enough to endure it for the sake of the other!" Jane and Thor looked at each other perplexedly. They weren't sure what Robert wanted of them. "If you love someone, then you take that chance together, you try and beat the odds so you can be together, otherwise, what is the goddamn point?"

"My Lady, I am sorry, how long have you had these visions?" Thor softly asked. Jane cocked her head at the God, as if to say ' _Really!'_

"Since you went back to Asgard and left me alone. I didn't know what happened to you," Jane snapped, as the anger rose in her. "Remember after you kissed me, you promised you would be back."

"But I _did_ come back, as I promised."

"After a year. I had to wait a year, thinking you'd forgotten me so soon."

Robert teleported off the stage, appearing next to Pepper. Pepper looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Robert sent back a look that clearly said: "No way, I am not going to be in the line of fire."

Thor was speechless; he just stood there nervously shaking. "But Lady Jane, I wanted to come back, but the Bifrost was destroyed. I did not know of any other way to come back to be with you. My heart ached for you. I love you. Have you no faith in me? Where is this anger coming from? Are you being possessed?"

"He did not just say that. He's pretty clueless when it comes to women," Clint commented from his place in the peanut gallery. "I bet ten bucks that Jane skins him alive."

"Okay, you're on. If blondie survives this, and that's a big if, he needs a crash course in Earth women," Tony commented.

"Like you two have room to talk," Natasha scoffed. Pepper and Maria nodded their heads in agreement.

"I'm sorry, but I had pressing matters to attend to. I wish I could have stayed," Thor answered.

"More pressing matters? You went off to try and save your brother who fucking hates you and has to tried to kill you… LOKI!" Loki snapped to attention. "How many times have you tried to kill Thor, and don't you dare think about lying to me."

"I don't really know the number," Loki said weakly. "There were many failed attempts." He really did not want to be involved in this mess.

"I'd say they all failed," Tony mock-whispered. Loki's expression soured.

"Answer the fucking question, before I come down and-" Jane raged out, her face was bright red

He quickly stated, "I do not know. I lost count after twenty-five. That is the truth."

"Twenty-five times! The fuck, dude?! You're a real life Cobra Commander. Give it up," Robert said. "Thor, seriously, all these times and you still want him as your brother? We need to have a talk."

"Why do you keep giving him chances? Why Thor? I want an answer," Jane demanded. "You claim to love me, yet you disappear to look for _him._ "

Thor looked very unsure on how to answer that, which really pissed Jane off. It was just that… although in her short existence, Jane had treated him much better than Loki ever had, Thor and Loki had known each other a _long time_ , and that wasn't a bond easily broken. Thor felt obligated to repair what he'd allowed to fall apart between them. He hadn't thought it would make Jane feel abandoned.

"Yes, you love your brother - the fucking whacked out psycho. Who, might I remind you, sent a giant fire breathing robot to kill you and also all those innocent people in that town. Then he tried to destroy a fucking planet – first his former home planet – like Darth Vader, he blows shit up, then he invades my planet and stabs you. Yes, please, I can perfectly understand why he needs saving. He is a horse-fucking serial-killer. What makes him special?" Jane screamed out, while some tears started to fall. "What, should I stab you, maybe shoot you, and hope that you'd show some feelings to me?"

Thor couldn't take it anymore. "Jane, I don't give up on him because he is the only person besides you who has ever told me that he loved me without question and repeated it without doubt. We were children and he looked me dead in the eyes and said 'I love you brother', and gave me a big hug." Everyone gasped. Thor cleared his throat awkwardly. "I simply can't tear that thought from my mind. I will not give up on the boy he was, because he must still remain that person in his heart, surely."

Tony looked over at the flushed trickster and stared at him. "I knew it, you are a big softy," Tony stated, and as he turned around, Loki kicked the back of his chair so hard that Tony fell flat on his face. Tony got up, fuming, about to fuck him up, but then the looked from Fury, Natasha, Maria, to Pepper, who were all glaring at him. "I might've deserved that," Tony mumbled, sitting back down.

"There is your answer, my friends. This is why Thor is giving Loki all these chances," Robert said to the fellow Avengers. "When you live for hundreds and hundreds of years and one person tells you that, it makes an impression on you. It's easier to break family ties here since our lives are shorter, but to demi-gods, it's probably near-impossible. They spent a long time together."

"But that doesn't change the fact that I missed you every day, Lady Jane. I tried to find a way back to you," Thor pleaded.

"You sure about that? Because I've been on Earth ever since you left, wondering where the fuck you were and who you were fucking or dating. Meanwhile, I'm turning down dates left and right, because I'm saving myself for you. But the minute Loki shows up, look who's coincidentally back on Earth. You were with S.H.I.E.L.D. throughout the entire invasion and could have told one of them. You do know S.H.I.E.L.D. stands for Shit Heads that are Excellent at Leading Dumb Fucks."

Tony, Clint, Maria, and Loki almost choked on trying not to laugh. Fury's glaring helped to stop that reaction, as he insisted that she hadn't even completed the acronym all the way.

Thor was crying now, unable to keep the tears away. "I am sorry, my love. I did want to contact you on my first return to Earth, but I thought it would be safer for you if I didn't. Please forgive me. Trust me when I say that I love you and I want to be with you. I thought that after the battle we could meet, but I had to take him back to Asgard." Jane's expression darkened further and Thor held up his hands in surrender. "To hell with Asgard and the throne! I want only you." He fell to his knees, his hands in front of him and stretched out past his head.

Jane was unimpressed. "Do you think any of that matters to me? I really don't care about that. As a matter of fact, I…I ha-" Suddenly, Robert was in front of her.

"Stop!" he yelled, surprising the woman. "You need to stop! Take a breath and look, think about this with your mind, give your heart a second. You have one of the strongest people in the universe groveling at your feet; he is willing to throw everything away for you. So calm the fuck down now and do not say the rest of that statement. You'll bitterly regret those rash words."

Everyone was shocked by the outburst. Robert knew the path that Jane was headed; he had been down that road before. "When we started this, you said you loved him. Do you still?"

Jane looked at Thor, finding the god of thunder with tears falling from his eyes. She walked over to him, turning to face Robert. "Will they stop, the visions, the fears of losing him?"

Robert took a deep breath, turning to stare at Pepper. He walked over to the edge of the stage. "Do you still have them?"

Tony was confused as all hell. "Pepper, what is he talking about?"

"Yes, not as much, only when he is in a battle, but sometimes they do return." She turned to face Tony, who had a completely confused look on his face. "I have nightmares of you dying in battle, flying the missile through that portal and never coming back, or you leaving me."

"Why didn't you tell me? We could have gone to therapy and gotten rid of them." Tony was in shock; he needed to fix them and help her. "Pep, I wish youda' told me."

"Really?" she inquired flatly, "Because you are just so wonderful at sharing. Everytime I try to talk to you you say, 'I am fine', or start drinking, or make up some excuse to hid in the lab." Tony hung his head down; he had nothing to offer in his own defense.

"You see, I don't want to get rid of them," Pepper answered, rendering Tony speechless. Pepper could see the confusion on his face and continued, "Yes, they scare the hell out of me, but then when I wake up and I see you, or you come home from the battle, I'm no longer afraid. It's such a relief and a comfort to my soul, heart, and brain that you are there."

Tony's eyes misted over as he stared at the red-head beside him. "I dream about you leaving me often. Like if you finally got tired of my shit and decided it was enough," Tony said with a hard swallow. "Sometimes after a battle, I think that you've packed up and left me. I couldn't really blame you, what with my charming personality, but then I wake up and see you still sleeping, Ms. Potts."

"I will never leave you, Mr. Stark."

Robert looked at Jane, his eyes softening. "Don't be so quick to get angry. Thor is an ignorant moron, I'll give you that, but he isn't an arrogant bastard. You're an intelligent woman; you must know the difference, right?" Jane remained silent, opting to not answer the question out of stubbornness. Robert sighed and continued anyways. "An arrogant person knows they're wrong, but will never admit. it. An ignorant person doesn't know they've done wrong, but they'll do whatever it takes to make things right once they learn. Give Thor that chance to learn."

"Why should I? People don't change; everyone is set in their ways. We are who we are, and that is that," Jane spat out. "Especially someone who lives as long as they do. People don't change."

"That is bullshit and you know it." Everyone turned to where the sound was coming from. Surprisingly, it was the trickster. "He was an arrogant, egotistical, spoiled bastard, a bully and uncaring brother. He was _dreadfully_ conceited," Loki said with a sneer."But he has changed, he knows he did me wrong, and he has proven that he has become better than that," Loki defended. "I was so blinded by hatred and jealousy that I couldn't see it, but I see him in front of you, groveling on the ground because he loves you. He is an oaf, a moron, and very clueless, but he also has a warm heart, an undying loyalty, and unbreakable honor."

Loki appeared in front of Jane. "I have seen him take down stone giants, ogres, dragons, aliens, and giant ice creatures." Loki noticed several of the Avengers staring at him critically, waiting for him to continue with the list, since they knew he left one detail off. "Fine, and he's also kicked _my_ ass several times over. The point is, love didn't exist on Asgard, Jotunheim, Niflheim, Svartalfheim, Helheim, Vanaheim, Alfheim, and Muspelheim for many centuries. Love was born here on Midgard, then traveled to the other realms; you mortals figured it out. I have looked at your religions: Christianity, Islam, Hindu, Catholicism, Buddhism; they all share the same message. Love is what unites you all." Loki walked over to his brother and extended his arm, holding his hand out to him.

Thor looked up and saw the hand that was extended to him. "My brother, I love you. I am still angry at you for the way I have been treated, but I know you are trying."

Jane walked over to other side of Loki. "Thor, do you promise, to become less ignorant and try your hardest to be a better person?"

"Of course. I will always strive to be a righteous man. I am sorry that I could not come back, I am sorry I hurt you, I am sor-" Thor babbled on, getting interrupted by Jane.

"Thor!" Jane yelled at the emotional wreck on the floor; she had made her decision.

"What, my lady?" He looked up in fear, expecting an angered woman. Instead, he found her staring at him with tears falling from her eyes and a huge smile on her face.

"Will you just please shut the fuck up and kiss me?" Thor was stunned for a second or two.

Loki walked over to Robert. "Did you really have to put them through that?" he asked, but Robert just nodded. "Why? I don't understand."

"You cut a string and tie it back together, and the ends are closer than they were. They have survived each other and still love each other," Robert said as he motioned his head towards Tony and Pepper, who were kissing each other, holding each other. "Complete total honesty with emotions, and at the end of the day, still being able to say I love you. It goes a long way."

Next thing Jane felt was being lifted off the ground by Thor, and they held each other, their lips locked as they squeezed closer, if that was even possible.

After what seemed like forever, their lips released and they both took a deep breath. "I love you!" they said together.

Everyone got up to circle the two lovers. Natasha and Maria stood next to Robert. Jane and Thor walked over to Robert, who watched the two, tears started to fall from his face. Jane just looked at Robert for a minute. "Wow. You really did love her, didn't you?"

"Every day, every week," he said as his eyes flowed with tears. "Every second, every minute, and every hour, I miss her." Jane and Thor walked a little closer and hugged him as the tears came out. The rest of team each grabbed each other's hand and quietly watched them. "But I am hoping, if I make it, I want a chance to try again, if someone will let me." As he smiled at Maria, who smiled back. She came over and took a hand that was offered to her by Robert.

"No Way, the Ice Queen has a heart that beats," Tony said.

"Her heart is not made of stone," Clint added, then ' _Whack!'_ as both of them got smacked in the back of the head by Pepper and Natasha.

There was a dinging sound from the wheel of names. Robert quickly looked at it and saw Pepper and Jane's names disappear from the wheel.

"Sweet," Robert commented aloud.

And then there was a loud bump, "OW! What the flipping fuck, where am I?" the figure said, "Why the hell are you all here?"

Jane closed her eyes and shook her head. She let out a huge sigh and raised a hand in the figure's direction. "Robert, I would like you to meet Darcy Lewis."


	27. Thor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor and Loki

"Okay, so why the hell is she here?" Robert questioned. "Wait, your name sounds familiar. Were you the one that tasered and hit Thor twice with a truck?"

 

"Yep. That's me; the one and only Avenger's personal assistant. I heard about the attack. Nobody was getting back to me, so I decided to investigate for myself. So what the hell is going on? I mean, I got off the elevator and I saw all of you in a big circle. Jarvis was saying something about not touching you, and the next thing I know, I'm sliding down some tunnel," Darcy explained.

 

"Darcy, this is Agent Robert Hall," Pepper introduced. "He was assigned to work with the Avengers by the government. He was injured trying to protect Jane, Maria, and me."

 

"Oh, okay. Hey, he is kind of cute, so that makes sense. But where are we? And what is that demon thing over there?" Darcy asked.

 

"We are in Robert's mind. He has been given the task of helping us to solve all of our nightmares," Jane explained.

 

"Wait a minute, you said you got off the elevator and ran over to us? Didn't Jarvis tell you what was going on?" Natasha inquired.

 

"Yup, and I was freaking out, because none of you were moving or talking. So, I went over to Jane, but Jarvis said not to touch her. I freaked out even more, and then I started to get woozy, and then I was sliding down a tunnel," Darcy said.

 

"Oh no, no, no. Tony, you fucking idiot. You didn't," Robert started to yell.

 

"Agent Hall, you need to calm down," Fury stated. "What's the problem?"

 

"Problem is, he didn't do the math correctly on how much knockout gas to use in a large open room to quickly knock a person out," Robert explained.

 

Bruce listened to Robert, and then he started to shake his head. "Tony, you moron."

 

Loki said, "I don't see the problem. If Darcy woke someone up, we would all be in danger."

 

It dawned on Natasha. "Jarvis used so much knockout gas to stop Darcy. That way, everyone is under the effect of the gas."

Bruce nodded and added, "That means that we are going to be knocked out for eight hours. So, what is the problem?"

 

"The problem is trying to prevent anyone else from entering the floor. If I wake up while someone is traveling to or from me, their soul or spirit will be lost forever," Robert reminded everyone.

 

"Robert will remain under the spell for twenty four hours," Astaroth replied.

 

"Okay, the problem is that it takes seven hours to travel between spots. So, that leaves me seventeen hours to do Loki, Natasha, Clint, Maria, Fury, Thor, and Tony," Robert said, sounding defeated.

 

"Robert, please don't give up," Astaroth pleaded. "I want you to succeed on this trial."

 

“Yeah, I am sure you do,” said Loki eyeing the demon carefully.

 

"Okay, then," Robert said, but before he could continue, the wheel started spinning again. When it stopped, it landed on Thor.

 

Everyone just stared at him. Thor has nightmares? He is such the golden retriever-like, loveable, and loyal guy. "Thor, what keeps the God of Thunder up at night? Granted, you do not have them as much as everyone else. Let's take a look."

 

The cave started to get darker slowly. Images started to appear on the walls, taking on familiar features.

 

Odin sneered at his son. "Yes, I was a fool to think that you were ready. Thor Odinson, you have betrayed the express command of your king. Through your arrogance and stupidity you have opened these realms to the horror and desolation of war. You are unworthy of these realms. You are unworthy of these titles. You are unworthy of the loved ones you have betrayed. I take from you your power, by my father, and his father before. I, Odin Allfather, cast you out!"

 

An image of Loki appeared next. "Born to be a king. I ask one thing in return: a front seat to watch Earth burn."

 

Frigga's displeased face appeared next. "Why do waste your time with these common women?"

 

Then, images of each of the Avengers appeared, depicting them calling Thor stupid or walking away in frustration, one person at a time. Each of the Avengers felt their stomachs becoming nauseated, and their faces felt flushed.

 

Then, it got dark. It showed Thor and Loki at a cemetery. Thor was in tears. Loki just stood by him. "Brother, I know you loved her, but she is mortal. Come, leave her in peace." And with that, Thor was led away from the grave. Then, it zoomed in the grave site to reveal the name 'Jane Foster' etched on the tombstone's surface.

 

Then, there was another scene of Thor holding Jane's dead body. Thor was sobbing, because in the middle of the place, all of the Avengers were around him, dead. "Geez, Thor, I guess Midgard's finest warriors were no challenge at all." Lady Sif, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg were standing there with blood dripping from their weapons. "You dared to accuse us of not being good friends. We warned you that we were jealous ones."

 

When the lights came back on Loki stated, "Wow, that was unexpected."

 

Thor hung his head down in shame. "I am sorry, my friends, that my thoughts are impure."

 

Robert just shook his head. He walked up to Thor and stood in front of him. He brought his hand up to his face, and then snapped his fingers. To everyone's shock, he slapped Thor across the face as hard as he could. "Snap out of it," he said, and threw his hands up in the air. "Impure thoughts? Are you fucking kidding me right now? Compared to you, we are about as pure as the Exxon oil spill," Robert yelled out. "I know about being worthy and shit with your hammer."

 

Loki appeared next to his brother. "All those nights that you used to comfort me when we were younger, why didn't you tell me about this?" Thor gave Loki a perplexed look. That answered Loki's question. "Right, trying to kill you a bunch of times does put a damper on that. But, regardless of that, you told me everything else. Why not this?"

 

"Tell you what? That the God of Thunder is scared of a dream, so you can throw it in my face? It is just a dream, and dreams can't hurt anything," Thor stated. "Everyone thinks I am stupid, incompetent, reckless, and war driven."

 

Loki shook his head. "You don't get it. Yes, they do hurt. Every night I have the dreams; they return to haunt me. The Chitauri beat me, rape me, torture me, and fuck with my mind. It replays over and over, night after night. After I fell off the bridge, they captured me and ruined me." As the tears fell from his eyes, he continued. "The dreams rip the wounds open in me. The blood, the pain, the fear, it all comes back to me. They got control of my mind. They numbed it and made me do the things during the attack.

 

"They wanted me to attack Asgard first. Instead, I chose Earth because I thought it would be safer for you. I had heard the stories of the special people, but I also heard rumors of the weapon that makes the sun appear on the Earth," Loki stated to everyone.

 

"Nuclear weapons," Bruce muttered, with Tony nodding in agreement.

 

"Now, I want everyone to realize something: Loki was under mind control, like Barton and others. The reason he was under that control was because after months of torture, they still couldn't break him," Robert stated.

 

"I'm calling bullshit," Clint remarked. "He knew what he was doing."

 

"Really, Barton?" An image of Loki appeared. It was just as he came out of the portal at the S.H.I.E.L.D. research facility. "Bullshit, huh? Look at his fucking eyes. They are blue. What color are they now? GREEN! When did they turn back to green? After the Hulk used him like a whip and beat his ass a few times."

 

"Why the fuck did you not say anything?" Clint demanded, yelling at Loki.

 

"Like you would have believed me, anyways," Loki argued, shouting back at him.

 

"Well, you could have tried at least," Clint shot back.

 

"He did, you moron, but you and spider would not listen. Remember last month? We tried to tell you, but you got so pissed off that you almost destroyed the lab," Tony yelled at him.

 

"Oh, well, now I feel like a giant dickhead," Clint sulked.

 

"Anyways, getting back to topic of nuclear weapons. I knew your nations had these things and they would use them to defeat the armies," Loki replied. "Thor, I love you. You know that you will outlive Jane. There is no way to prevent that."

 

"No, brother, you are wrong. There is one way; if father and mother will make her an Asgardian," Thor replied back.

"You are insane if you think that will come to be. It will never happen. I am not being rude; I am being honest. Allfather views the Midgardians as weak compared to the other realms." Loki explained, shaking his head.

 

"Perhaps, but I have to try. I love her, and to me, that is all that matters. Just like them; I love them all. They treat me as one of their own. Yes, my feelings get hurt, but I know in my heart that I would not want to be next to anyone else in battle."

 

Thor stood up. He was glowing in pride, "I never have said these words, so I shall say them now. I love you all: Man of Iron, the Beast, Lady Jane, Lady Pepper, My Captain, Lord of Arrow, the Deadly Spider, and Lady Darcy. You are my family, and I will never leave you alone. I look forward to a day, a day that never comes, to die with you in battle, as it is the ultimate honor. And you," he said, pointing towards Fury. Thor walked to up the Director. "I do not agree with all the decisions that you make, but I respect you, because you do protect us when we need it."

 

"Thank you, Thor," Fury said.

 

Thor continued, "And there is a reason why I never gave up on you." as he looked at his brother.

 

"Oh, really? And why is that?" Loki asked cockily.

 

"Because when we were children, you asked me not to," Thor replied. With that, he pulled Loki into an embrace, holding onto him tightly. Loki hugged him back, just as strong.

 

Then, there was a ding. Robert turned to face the wheel. Thor's name disappeared.

 

 


	28. Loki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki turn, Hela, and an apology

 

"Well, goody, another one bites, another bites the dust, because I heard through the grapevine," Robert sang in a  fun tone.  He noticed everyone looking at him. "Well, fuck, this is awkward." The wheel started spinning again. "Yo, slave driver, are you trying to kill me?" The wheel stopped spinning, pointing at Loki’s name.

 

“Well, with the amount of shit we’ve uncovered on you, I think it basically comes down to giving forgiveness, and accepting forgiveness,” Robert said to him, not knowing everything that he would see or how wrong he would be. Knowing about norse legends and the case files on Loki was completely different than knowing about the hundreds of years he had lived, his secret fears, and his childhood woes.

 

“Why do you care about me? I was cast out by my parents to die in the ice, taken by Odin, who lied and used me as a possession. I was mocked, beaten, and humiliated by Thor and his friends for being smaller, weaker, and not mastering swordsmanship as quickly. Anything that went wrong in the palace, I got the blame, the whipping, the beating,” Loki spat out. “You made me feel like shit that had been stepped on even after I told you that I loved you. The next day you punched me in the face because you got caught cheating, and I told the truth about what you did."

 

Everyone looked at Thor. Even Jane and Darcy looked at Thor with disdain. "I understand that you are not pleased with my actions, but this is my past and I wish I could change it. I am sorry, my brother, and I ask for forgiveness and a chance to redeem myself," the thunder god begged.

 

"Your temper was unacceptable. You enjoyed laughing at me along with your friends. Remember when I had a broken arm, or when my hands were snapped in pieces? There was that time that Frigga found me knocked out. Each time I told on you, they would beat on me!" Loki cried out. Suddenly, Darcy went running up to Loki and just wrapped her arms around him. Loki was stunned by the sign of raw emotions.

 

"If I ever meet those fuckers, I’ll castrate them. It’s okay, Loki," Darcy said, glaring at Thor.

 

"No fucking wonder he snapped. Jesus, Thor, do you understand basic psychology? Loki, if I meet those bastards, I’ll blast them for you," Tony said.

 

"You call yourself brothers and yet you let your friends treat him like that? Friends? You were a goddamn pack of bullies. How many others did you threaten?" Steve yelled as he looked at Thor. "You let them do this to him. No wonder he hates you. No wonder he became the god of lies and pranks." Steve knew all about how it was to be bullied, and he had no tolerance for it. “You oughta’ feel ashamed of yourself.”

 

"Oh, now it’s gone to hell. Steve is cursing. Thor, you were his brother. That is pretty fucking low, what you did!" Clint said, and that was really something, considering he was defending Loki of all people when he said it.

 

“If this has been going on for hundreds of years, no wonder he wanted revenge. That’s still no excuse to attack our planet, but if he was under the mind control, everything would make sense. We’ll have to figure out a way to improve your image,” Fury stated.

 

Thor has his head down low as each of the Avengers ripped into him. Robert knew what had to be done. "Enough! Everyone, knock it off. Don't be throwing fucking stones at him.  It is not like you all have squeaky motherfucking clean pasts either."

 

Loki looked at his brother with begrudging pity. "It is not all your fault. Odin and Frigga share the blame as well. More so Odin, since he is the one who knew that I was a Frost Giant and kept it from me. You have at least realized that you were wrong and have been trying to make up for it, even though you have been annoying as hell.

 

“After I let go of the bridge, as I fell through space, I went into the void. It is a dark evil place. As I drifted through the void, I felt someone grab me. It was the Other. He dragged me across a planet. Next thing I know, I see Thanos in front of me,” Loki calmly said, with Darcy holding him. He seemed to enjoy her attention. “Thanos rose up from his throne, walked down to me, and explained about me helping him fulfill the prophecy. With that, he punched me in the gut and then the head. I fell to the ground. Thanos looked to the Other and told him what to do to me. Then began the beating, whipping, torture, and the rape. They beat me every night, every day, for hours and hours. The Other would go into my mind and destroy it, and the next day, it would begin again.

 

"I did want to kill you, because I felt that you did not care. Every night they tortured me, and I would see some lightning. I’d see lightning and think it was you, that you were coming. I was sure that you’d come looking for me and that you’d be there any minute to take me away from there," Loki calmly said, even though tears were falling. “But you never came. You left me. You gave up.”

 

“We thought you were dead,” Thor said, aghast when he heard what had happened, and saw the cold blame in his brother’s eyes. “If I’d had one tiny shred of anything that you were alive, I would have been there immediately,” Thor pleaded. “What can I do to make you believe that I do love you as a brother?”  

 

Loki walked over to his brother. ”Nothing,” he said in a deep growl. “Now you want to save the world, save me, save your precious Jane." Darcy slowly backed away. Loki quickly turned to look at her. ”No, you are safe. Your heart is pure. Your mind, on the other hand, how the hell do you remember your name?”

 

Robert just watched and carefully kept his eye on the angry god. “What of your children?” That got a reaction, Robert observed.

 

“You will leave them out of it, or I will kill you!” Loki spat out venomously.

 

“I can’t do that, Loki,” Robert replied.

 

“Why not? You dare ignore the order of the parent?” Loki stated back.

 

“Wait a minute, a parent? Since when did that happen?” Fury asked.  
  


Robert looked at Thor. “You did not tell them anything?”

 

“No, it is not my place. I know how protective Loki is of his children,” Thor replied with everyone looking at him. “He was separated from them all, and it’s a sore topic. Besides, it is the parent’s job to introduce their children."

 

“Thank you Thor, I appreciate that very much,” Loki said with a small smile. “Now, if some other people would follow that example," he said icily, glaring at Robert.

 

“The reason I can’t is because they asked me to find you. Hela, it’s your show,” Robert answered.

 

A globe of purple energy appeared and took shape of a body. A young woman with damp black hair appeared. She was thin, but you could see the muscles in her body. She was tall. Loki’s expression immediately softened, and he smiled widely. Hela raised her head and turned towards Robert. “Thank you for honoring our bargain." She turned to face Loki. “It has been a long time, father. I have missed you."

 

Loki looked at his daughter with subdued joy. “I have missed you too." He looked towards Robert. “What bargain is this?”

 

“After the accident, things got bad, I mean, real bad. I committed suicide. Next thing I know, she’s in front of me. So how can he still be christian?) She asked me why I did it, and I told her the reasons for my actions."  Robert could tell everyone was shocked by the truth. “She would not take my soul. She said she had a vision of the future, and part of that was redeeming you. So, she sent me back on the condition that I find a way for her to talk to you."

 

“Hela, I told you a long time ago not to make these kind of deals, especially not for the sake of seeing me,” Loki said as harshly as he could, although he couldn’t truly be angry with his daughter after not seeing her in so long. “But I must ask, darling, why did you choose Hall?”

 

“Because Astaroth was already with him, I knew I could trust him to do his part,” Hela explained. “Besides, the fates told me that he was not allowed to die and that his purpose was just beginning."

 

This shocked Thor and Loki. The Fates were a big deal, and if they told you something, you listened. Hela continued, “Father, Thanos is growing stronger. It will be only a matter of time before he will come to Midgard. He is attacking civilizations, sending hordes of dead to my realm. I love you. You must regain your magic and become stronger to defeat Thanos. I must go now. Thank you, Robert. I will make sure that the next time I see you, you will be treated well."

 

Loki moved closer to Hela. “I love you, Hela." With that, they hugged for a long time, and then she changed back into the purple ball of energy and left the room.

 

Loki took a deep breath. Everyone was still trying to understand what had just happened. “Thank you, but if you ever do that again, I will kill you.“

 

“Yeah, yeah, got it, threats, promises, broken dreams. and all that,” Robert said to Loki.

  
“You think I don't know you’re watching me. You think you are safe in the mind. You forget how powerful I am, what I can do,” Loki snapped. He lunged at Robert.

 

As he came closer to Robert, Thor, Steve, Clint and Natasha tried to move to help Robert, but suddenly, Loki froze in mid step. A loud howl occurred, and there was four frost giants in front of Robert. Loki’s face just turned to horror. “You are dead,” he said quietly, voice cracking. “I killed you. Laufey, you’re dead," he repeated, shaking his head, trying to make himself believe it.

 

A loud roar came from the right. Loki looked up and saw the destroyer. “That’s impossible. Thor took you out." Loki faced Robert. “How can you summon the dead? No one has that power."

 

Robert just smiled. “Back,” was all he said. Loki had a confused look on his face, and the next moment, he flew back into a wall so hard that it cracked. Loki struggled to move, to get out of the grasp of what was holding him. The next thing he knew, metal brackets came out of the wall, clamping onto his body parts. He could not move. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a giant blade come out. It was very shiny and smooth. It moved very slowly right up to his throat, where it stopped about one and half inches away.

 

Robert walked up to him. “This is my mind, you fucking idiot. I have been kind and caring to you,  Knock it off! I will not allow myself to be at risk of getting hurt. The next stupid fucker that tries to attack me or anyone else in here will be dead!” Robert growled loudly. “I’m trying to help you all, and you’re attacking like selfish morons.I understand that you all have had problems, that no other human has encountered, but this does not make sense to me. Do we understand each other? I could kill you and everyone, but I’m trying to be understanding, so why the fuck did you try to attack me?”

 

“You’re bringing up things from my past that I don’t want to think about. I don’t want to remember it. I hate it, I hate feeling what I felt then. I don’t want you to show me my past,” Loki said with sadness in his voice.

 

“Right, hmm," Robert pulled out something and looked at it. “Huh, how about that? Look, my driver’s license says I fucking wasn’t born yesterday, you fucktard! Tell me the truth, or you’re dead."

 

“I hate you,” Loki spat out.

 

“Whatever. I’ve got an ex, and she said worse shit to me,” Robert said back.

 

"Robert, why are you doing this to my brother?" Thor pleaded.

 

“Um, excuse me, he tried to attack me. I guess you were right, Clint, some people never change. So, should we kill him now? What do you think, Tony? I mean, he did throw you out of a window. Thor, if he keeps trying, one day he will kill you. Natasha, he fucked with Clint’s brain. You must want him dead."

 

Clint, Tony, Natasha, and Thor got up from their chairs and walked over to Loki.

 

“What about you, Fury and Maria? Loki has caused bigger headaches than Stark for you. Because of him, New York almost got nuked. Pepper, how many employees died because of Loki’s attack? He threw Tony out of a window. Jane, Loki almost killed you and Darcy and leveled a small town. You must want revenge." They all got up and joined the others on the stage.

 

Loki looked in front of him. Everyone was just staring at him, and no words were spoken. “Why do you stare at me? I knew it was all a lie. I knew you would all kill me,” Loki spat out.

 

Clint walked up to him, cold, not showing any emotion at all. “I should kill you, the hell I live with, seeing the faces of the agents that I killed while under you. There are a lot of people who don’t trust me, and they may never trust me again. So, I guess there is only one thing left to do." Loki just listened and watched. He waited for something. He saw Clint come closer. He knew he was going to die. He closed his eyes. It was going to be over. But then, he felt warmth. He felt another heart, and felt something grab his head. He opened his eyes, and there was Clint hugging him.  

 

“Loki, I am really understanding the hell that you went through, and that you were not responsible for the attack on me and my planet. For that, I forgive you,” Clint said. “I would really like if we can start fresh as teammates and go from there."

 

Natasha was next. “You are a wise person, devious, sneaky, and strong minded. You have overcome incredible odds. I would like you to be one of us, please."

 

One by one, each of the Avengers came up and gave Loki good fortune, thoughts, and kind words. Loki thought they were too trusting, that they were foolish, but somehow… it warmed his heart. Maybe… Maybe this is what he needed. People who knew all the bad things he’d done and could still do something like this. Maybe this is what being a hero was... ‘Maybe I can try this,’ Loki thought.   
  
Director Fury came to Loki. ”You do have an incredible amount of knowledge and potential. I do believe you would be a wonderful asset to the Avengers. Plus, you get the added bonus of free passes to prank Tony Stark."

 

Loki was stunned. Thor came up to him and then he got down on both knees. Loki just looked down at him, eyes going wide and round. He backed up uncomfortably, glancing around in alarm, quickly controlling his facial expression.  "There are many years where I felt like you ignored and mistreated me." Thor started to weep. "I do believe you that you had no knowledge of your pack of friends. But, I can’t ignore the past, because it is too painful for me."

 

"Maybe over the next thousand years, that pain will fade, but that is up to you. As for the rest of you, the Avengers, yes, I would like to accept your offer and be a part of the team."

 

Everyone crowded around Loki, except Robert. Natasha noticed that. She walked over to him. “How do you do it? Your methods are insane. They shouldn’t work, but yet they do."

 

Robert just looked back at the redhead. “You mean like this team. It should have failed, but it didn’t."

 

With that, there was the ding sound. Everyone turned to look at the wheel. Loki’s name came off. There was another ding, and Clint’s name came off. “Wow, there are only four names left: Natasha, Tony, Fury, and Maria,” Robert said. He was feeling good. Then, he heard something to change that.

 

It was like a giant alert buzzer sound. Steve looked at Robert, who noticed he looked very sad. “What does that sound mean, Robert?”

  
Robert, looking very upset, raised his head. “That means that I am out of time."


	29. Home??

 

Robert's words had caused everyone to fall silent until Steve broke it, "What do you mean out of time?"

 

"When the trial began, I set a buzzer to go off when there was ten hours left, so that way I would have enough time to send people home safely." Robert explained, "And with four of you left, there is no way I can finish in that amount of time."

 

"What will happen now?" Pepper asked.

 

"After I send you all back, that should leave three hours left. Once that has passed, I will die for two minutes. During that time, I will face judgement, and one of three things will happen(,)" Robert replied. "Either Astaroth will be granted my body and will be awake to fight his battle, I will be allowed to live and will awake without Astaroth, or I will just remain dead."

 

"This is ridiculous! It’s bullshit! There was no way you would’ve had enough time!" Tony yelled. "This is a setup and a rip-off if I ever saw one!"

 

"Tony is right, Robert. Why did you agree to these terms?" Maria asked.

 

"Because I love you all," Robert answered. "You accepted me, you backed me up, you cared for me. That is why. It's because I wanted to give back to my family."

 

"Robert, remember the clock is ticking. You might want to send them home soon." the demon spoke.

 

"Do you fucking mind? I’m well aware of that," Robert snapped back. "So sorry if I want to say goodbye to people that I care about."

 

"No, we won't go. We will stay with you until the end," Steve stated.

 

"And then what? You'll all be dead. It's not worth the chance," Robert fired back. "Besides, I won't even let you attempt it."

 

"That doesn't matter," Steve argued. "We're a team, and we always work together."

 

"Look, it won't be that bad with Astaroth. He’ll be okay. Maybe he can be a good team player, and besides, I might be able to rejoin my family," Robert said as he started to cry.  
  


Suddenly, everyone saw that they were far away from Robert. "Remember, after I die, wait two minutes before starting any CPR. I love you all. Thank you." He brought his hand up and made the Vulcan salute. Tony, having seen the movies, was first to recognize its meaning. "NO, you don't pull that! You don't to get to pu…."

 

The next thing Tony felt was his body sliding down the tube. It was brighter than the last couple of times. He landed back in his body and began to feel more and more in touch with it. He felt more awake, aware, and he desperately needed a drink. He opened his eyes at the same time everyone else opened theirs.

 

"That motherfucker! I can't believe he did that!" Tony yelled out.

 

"Tony, it's okay. Robert cared about us. You knew he wouldn't sacrifice us for him," Pepper said to console him.

 

"No, you don't understand. Just before he put us back here, he did this," Tony replied, making the hand gesture that he saw.

 

"So, what’s the big deal?" Clint questioned.

 

"More movie nights are needed. It was in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, when Spock died. His last words were, 'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one.'" As the words left his mouth, he felt his eyes become wet. "He wanted us to live. He wanted us to move forward."

 

Thor held Jane, Loki held Darcy, Clint held Natasha, Pepper walked over to Tony,

Bruce, Nick,  and Maria stood next to each other in a circle, and Steve walked into the middle. "He isn't dead. He is not gone. We have a few hours. We don't know anything, but I am sure that we are all hungry, thirsty and have other needs that need to be handled. Robert would want us to be strong."

 

So everyone left to go shower and get refreshed. Fury and Maria went back to the Hellicarrier to ensure that the Earth hadn't stopped turning while they were away. Tony, Jane, and Bruce showered and changed. They went to the labs to check their experiments. Bruce then quickly left to check on Robert, who was still in the coma. Steve, Clint, and Natasha went to the training room to beat the hell out of stuff. Thor left for Asgard to see if there was anything that could be done. Loki was just standing on a balcony, looking at the night sky. He felt a presence from behind him.

 

"Lady Darcy, you may approach." He felt her come closer. "Why did you do that?"

 

"You mean run up and tackle you with a bear hug and threaten to castrate people I thought were my friends?"

 

"Yes, pretty much. You know that I have tried to kill Thor and have attacked two planets, but yet you run blindly at me and hug me," Loki commented while staring at her. 'She is not bad looking. She has a nice chest, and her smile does seem inviting. Why is she waving her hands at me?' he thought.

 

"Hello, Mr. Doom and Gloom. Eyes here, please," she commanded while pointing to her eyes. 'Men. They are always looking at my boobs,' she thought. "I have a big heart, and I care a lot."

 

"Why are you even here? You have no powers," Loki questioned.

 

"EXCUSE ME?! I do too have superpowers, they are just not in the sense you know of. Do you know how hard it is to babysit three grown scientists that forget to eat, sleep, drink, and shower, or how hard it is to decipher their handwriting? How about making sure that Tony Stark doesn't do drunken science things and blow up his lab?"

 

"So, that is why the number of explosions has dropped for a while, but now, they are increasing," Loki said.

 

"Oh, really? God, can't even take a month or two off," Darcy complained. "Everyone goes back to their old habits. Anyways, I handle them. Also, I help Pepper manage all the food and activities. God forbid if we ever run out of Pop Tarts."

 

Loki shuddered a little. "Yes, I do remember that time. That was not a fun day. He did act a bit like a child," he chuckled a little.

 

 _"I wanted you to be aware that everyone has gathered in the medical wing, Sir Loki and Miss Darcy,"_ Jarvis said. Loki and Darcy looked at each other. They could hear the sadness in the A.I.'s voice.

 

"Sir Loki? Why is it different?" Loki inquired.

 

 _"Well, I have heard that you don't desire your father's last name and you don't want Thor's either, so I thought Sir Loki would be appropriate,"_ Jarvis answered.

 

"It does have a nice ring to it. Come on, let's join the others," Darcy said as they walked to meet them.

 

When they entered the medical wing, everyone was there except Fury and Maria. They called and said they wanted to be there, but there were some world issues that needed to be handled, but the Avengers did not need to be sent in.

 

The atmosphere was tense, filled with a heavy amount of suspense. Everyone was standing close to each other as they watched Banner and a doctor that was close to Tony. They worked to make sure they had everything ready to bring Robert back if he did crash. Thor had come back from Asgard with Frigga. She brought a few healing potions and stones that would help too.

 

Time went by slowly, and the minutes seemed like hours. Then, the clock struck midnight. Robert's right hand started to move a little, and his head moved back and forth, left to right, very slowly. Then, it happened. Like sticking a fork in an electric outlet, his body started to shake violently. Everyone suddenly realized that he was going to die and that his death was only a few minutes away. To their horror, they realized there was nothing that any of them could do to stop it.

 

Then, it happened: the eerie sound of the monitor flat lining. Jane, Darcy, and Pepper started to cry, leaning on their partners for comfort. Steve stared on sadly, but resolved himself to not cry. He needed to be strong; for the team. 'Why? Why must they all fall?' he thought, 'I'm used to it but…but I wish he wouldn't fall too.'

 

Clint and Natasha had rare tears falling down their faces as they waited, desperately clinging to a glimmer of hope that the agent would be alright. Tony just held Pepper, staring at the wall numbly. He felt a strong hand on his shoulder and saw that it was the blond haired Captain. The rest of the team heard crying in the back. When they turned, they saw a sight they never thought they would see. Frigga was comforting both of her sons, who were crying over their mortal friend.

 

"Alright, let's do this." That got everyone's attention. Banner and the doctor started to do CPR. Bruce did the chest compressions, and other doctor squeezed an Ambu bag. Then, after a minute, there was no change. They started to inject medication charged up the defibrillator. They were racing against the clock. After five minutes, the brain cells would start to die. "Clear!" They shocked him. His body jumped up: nothing. Then again, and again: still nothing.

 

Jane pulled Thor closer. "What if-?" she questioned.  
  


"No, my Lady, do not think that. He will be back." But when she looked in his eyes, she knew he was scared. Jarvis watched from every angle, silently hoping. Then, he did something he did not know was possible: he prayed to God. He wanted his friend back.

 

Silence filled the room as everyone held their breath, and then, it happened.

 

 _'BEEP.'_ Bruce told the doctor to stop, and they waited.

 

 _'BEEP.'_ Loki looked over at Thor and smiled.

 

 _'BEEP.' 'BEEP.'_ Natasha held Clint as they watched the monitor.

 

 _‘BEEP,’BEEP,’BEEP’_ Jarvis was running any scan he could think of.

 

 _'BEEP.' 'BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.'_ Tony could only think, _'That son of a bitch._ '

 

The beeps got faster and stronger as the heart rate went up, until it was stable. His breathing became normal. "But, there is something different," Jarvis spoke. "Sir, his brain waves are becoming more active, more colorful."

 

They came into the room and surrounded the bed. Tony picked up Robert's hand, holding it in both of his own. His heart was beating quickly. "His eyes!" yelled Clint.

 

He could see them moving back and forth at a quick pace from beneath the eyelids. His head started to move again. Steve picked up Robert's other hand, holding it tight, as if he wanted to transfer his life force into his fallen team member.

 

"Come on, Hall, please come back to us," Clint pleaded.

 

_"Come home to your family."_

 

Eyes shot open. They darted around, trying to take in as much information as they could. Banner put his hand on Robert's head. "Agent Hall, are you there? Can you hear me?" Robert nodded, his eyes darting around to look at each person,

 

"Robert, can you say something?" Tony nearly demanded.  
  


Bruce gave Robert some water, and his mouth started to move. Everyone waited on baited breath, yearning to hear whose voice it would be; Robert or the demon? Who was in control of the body?

 

Robert's eyes glanced up at Tony, and then they looked to his hands. After a few seconds of silence, they finally got a response from the body.

 

"Just because we’re holding hands, doesn't mean we'll be taking warm showers together in the wee hours of the morning,  Robert commented dryly before breaking out into a grin.

 

Everyone broke down crying and hugged each other, laughing and smiling.

 

Natasha took out her phone to send out a message. It read: Our brother is home.

 

She got a rather quick response. It read: Thank you, from Fury.

 

 _"Welcome home, Agent Hall,_ " came from the ceiling.

\--------

We're not done yet. There's still one chapter left, to explain what happened.

 

This has truly been a pleasure, and I've already begun to write the next adventure. If you have any ideas on what should happen or what you'd like to see, please feel free to send me a private message. My plan is to do a bunch of one-shots, and I even have a good one planned (spoiler: Agent Hall meets General Ross).

  
THANK YOU TO ALL THE BETA READERS THAT HAVE HELPED ME!

 


	30. Epilogue

 

 

After everyone had left Robert’s mind,  Robert looked over at Astaroth. “Well, I guess we should get this over and done with.” The demon agreed, and with that, they both became balls of energy. They travelled for a while. Suddenly, Robert felt that they had stopped and had become whole again.

 

As Robert looked around him, he could see that they were in the land of the dead - on Nilfheim - for in front of them was Hela, Mistress Death, and a white ball of energy. “What is that?” Robert asked.

 

That is your representative on your side, to make sure things are fair,” Hela answered. “Let the trial begin, Robert. You were given the task of helping the Avengers with their nightmares by Astaroth, and if you failed to do so, you would lose your body and give it to Astaroth. But, if you completed your mission, Astaroth would have to find another host, correct?”

 

“Yes, those were the terms that I agreed to,” Robert replied.

 

“Yes, those were the terms that I had put in front of him,” Astaroth answered.

 

“Okay, now, how do we determine who is an Avenger and who is not?” Hela asked.

 

“Well, we agreed that we could use the S.H.I.E.L.D. classification of each member, since that is who gives them their paycheck,” Robert said while looking at Astaroth, who nodded his head in agreement.

 

“How were the people picked for you to work on?” Mistress Death asked.

 

“There was a wheel that appeared. When I was ready for the next person, it would start spinning, and once it stopped on a person’s name, that person would appear in front of me,” Robert stated.

 

“The wheel was my idea, but the name it landed on was predetermined by me,”  Astaroth answered.

“Gee, thanks for telling me now,” Robert said coldly.

 

“Who was left?” the White Ball asked.

 

“Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Tony Stark, and Natasha Romanoff. They were the last people,” Robert answered.

 

“You forgot about Darcy Lewis,” Astaroth stated.

 

“She doesn’t count. She appeared at the end, and got there because of the sleeping gas,” Robert contested.

 

“Agreed, Darcy Lewis will not count,” the three judges agreed. “As for the wheel, that does count against you,  Astaroth. Anything added must be explained in full,” Hela said.

 

“Well, Robert, you were able to help Loki, Thor, Clint, Steve, Bruce, Jane, and Pepper. Let’s pull the information on the other four, shall we?” An image appeared on the wall, and Nick Fury’s information appeared.  

 

_Real Name: Nicholas Joseph Fury_

 

_D.O.B. December 21, 1951_

 

_Title: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D._

 

“Okay, he is not an Avenger, so he does not count against you, Robert,” Hela stated, and the other judges agreed. “Now, Maria Hill.”

 

_Real Name: Maria Hill_

_D.O.B. April 4, 1982_

_Title: Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D._   
  


“Another one that is not an Avenger. That is good for you, Robert. Please pull up Natasha.”

 

_Real Name: Natasha Alianovna Romanoff_

_D.O.B.: November 22, 1984_

 

_Title: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D._

 

“Three in row. That is a Turkey, right?” Hela asked.

“Yes. In bowling, three strikes is a turkey,” Robert replied. ’I am nervous as fuck. I’ve got one name left, and she’s busy talking about bowling,’ he thought.

 

“Please pull up Tony Stark.”

 

_Real Name: Anthony Edward Stark_

 

_D.O.B.: May 29, 1970_

 

_Title: Consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D_

 

“NO!” screamed Astaroth. “That is impossible. They are Avengers! You did that on purpose.”

 

“Shut up, Astaroth. Now be quiet, or I will send you into the depths of Hel as a slave,” Hela barked. Astaroth wisely shut his mouth and bowed his head.

 

“It is the determination of this court that you, Robert Hall, have completed your trial. You are hereby released from Astaroth. Are there any objections from anyone else?” Hela asked the other judges.  

 

“I am satisfied with the ruling,” Mistress Death answered.

 

“I am in agreement as well,” the white energy replied.

 

“You may return to your body immediately. Thank you, Robert, and my regards to my father,” Hela said.

 

“Thank you, Hela, Mistress Death, My Faith, Astaroth. I do wish you well, and hope you get your revenge against Thanos,” Robert answered. With that, he felt that he was suddenly sliding down a tube. He stopped after a while and realized that he was in his body.

 

He felt in control of his body, and he opened his eyes to see everyone looking at him. He kept looking around. He could not believe that he was home. He looked down and saw Tony holding his hand. He remembered the line from Heartbreak Ridge, so he said it. “Just because we're holding hands doesn't mean we'll be taking warm showers together until the wee hours of the morning."

 

He then heard Jarvis say, _“Welcome home,”_ and he did. He felt like he was home.

____________________________________________________________________

 

Stones and Michaels, who had been in the holding cells on the Hellicarrier for five days now, were in handcuffs at all times(,) and were watched very closely. Finally, the bars moved away, and there was three armed guards with machine guns in front of them.   
  
“Well, what the hell do you want? I am a goddamn American and an FBI Agent. You can’t do this to me,” yelled out Stones.

 

“Actually, yes, we can. You are classified as a terrorist.” Fury came into cell, holding a folder. “Oh, and here are your termination papers. So, care to share anything before you go to jail?”

 

“What are the charges? I get a trial. I have rights,” Michaels shot back.

 

“Hmm, helping terrorists, selling weapons illegally, various attempted murders, laundering money, not paying taxes, and so on,” Fury said with a smile. “As for a trial, you don’t get one. You are both going away for a long time. That is, if you live that long. There are a lot of people that are unhappy with you two. You are going to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, so have fun.” Turning to walk away, Fury realized he’d left something out. “Oh, I almost forgot, somebody came to see you.”

 

Fury backed up. Stones and Michaels heard footsteps and saw a red haired woman in black, a blond haired man in blue, a man in black with buzzcut hair, a man wearing a rock shirt with a goatee, a long-haired blond man with a big hammer and a red cape, a man in green and black with black hair and a cold stare, and a man with a sheepish walk about him. They recognized the group as the Avengers.

 

“Oh, what the hell do you want to say?” Stones said back.

 

“Us?” Steve said. “We don’t want to say anything to you. It’s him that does.” He pointed to his left. More footsteps came closer, and to the shock of Stones and Michaels, a brown eyed man with a buzzcut and a goatee, who was wearing a black t-shirt and blue jeans appeared.

 

“That’s impossible. You’re dead. We heard that you were dead,” Stones said.

 

“Well, what can I say? Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Oh, and by the way.” Robert walked up to Stones and just looked him in the eye. Then, he felt his blood boil. These fuckers had killed the two people he loved. They made him believe that he was at fault, and they’d tried to kill innocent people and his new friends and family. His fingers grew tight, and the swing was hard and fast. He nailed Stones right in the face. He stared coldly at Michaels, who just looked at Robert. He swung his leg up and nailed Michaels right in the balls. With both of them on the ground, Robert spit on both them. “You two are worthless scum. Have fun in prison.”

 

Robert and the Avengers walked out of the holding cell. Steve looked at Tony. “See? That’s how you throw a punch without hurting your hand,” he said. Tony looked at Steve with exasperation and shook his head.

 

“Really?” Tony looked at him. “Okay, I’ll be at training today. So, now what, Hall?”

 

Robert looked at the team. “I’d like to go home, please.”

 

Everyone just smiled at him. “Yes, let’s do that. Star Trek movie marathon, anyone?” Tony suggested.

 

The End


End file.
